


Do Not Go Gently

by Kat_Among_Pixies



Category: Sky High (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-04
Updated: 2008-05-04
Packaged: 2017-11-10 11:19:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 56,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/465675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat_Among_Pixies/pseuds/Kat_Among_Pixies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the tragedy, Warren had reminded Anna that it wasn't easy being a Superhero. And with the new changes, challenges, and dangers she must now face, no one knows that better than she does. This is the second installment to 'With Enemies Like These'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Anna's Choice

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter One- Anna's Choice**

**Six Months Later.**

It was summer again in Maxville. The Sun shone hotly, even though it was only mid-morning. Across the street, the neighbours had turned on the sprinklers in their front yard. Some kids were playing in it, running around and shrieking with laughter.

I watched it all solemnly from my bedroom window for a while. Then I closed the blinds.

There was a soft knock at my door. "It's open," I called out.

It was my father, Charles Arrian. He was a retired Super Hero, gone inactive after being severely injured in an altercation with Super Villain Barron Battle years ago. Even now, he limped slightly as he came into my room. "Hi Annie," he greeted me warmly. "Miss Electra's here. She's waiting downstairs."

Miss Electra was my home school teacher. She'd been giving me summer classes since mid-July. She would have taught me for the remainder of the Spring term, if my parents hadn't insisted that I take the time off. "Okay Dad. Let me just get my books."

He grinned as he helped me with the heavier texts. "Your Mom's coming home this afternoon. Did I tell you?"

"Only about ten times this morning." I smiled, then grew serious. "Is she all right now?" I asked quietly.

My father looked down at me fondly. "She called me early this morning. You were still sleeping. She says she misses you honey. She can't wait to see you."

My spirits rose when I heard that. My mother had gone to stay with her parents since May. Things hadn't been easy for her since my cousin Paul's death. Being a regular person with a husband and daughter who both possessed super powers had never been easy for her. And since the tragedy, she told us she needed some time to recover, and had been gone for three months. Now she was coming home at last.

xxxx

"Who was the first Villain to attempt to destroy the Sun?"

"The Dark Plague."

"Correct. The year Crystanet the Invincible defeated _Régne Sinistre_?

"1974."

"That's right. The country where a swarm of radioactive locusts-"

"Tunisia, North Africa, 1981."

Miss Electra put down her textbook and gazed at me serenely. She picked up a folder, and leafed through it. "Well Anna, I think that will do. I have your results from the last final. You are certainly on top of Hero History. Your Arts scores are also good. Mad Science...good. English for Super Heroes..."She nodded appreciatively. "If you keep this up Anna, you could graduate with honours. You certainly have the potential to be one of Maxville's finest. I've seen your physical reports from last year. You'd be one of the first the mayor himself would call in an emergency."

"Or I could teach Hero History, or Concepts of Super Physics, or something." I tried to say it in a joking way, but the hopeful tone in my voice betrayed me.

Miss Electra chuckled. Her smile faded. "Anna, I understand that you've gone through a very traumatic experience. But I've been speaking with your father, and he tells me that your therapist has helped a lot."

"I guess so."

"Anna, it's okay," Miss Electra said encouragingly. "I just think that maybe, if you could power up, even for a few moments-"

My breath caught in my throat. I shut my eyes tightly, fighting for air. "I _can't_ ," I whispered, gasping.

"All right, all right," Miss Electra's voice was alarmed. She got up and I felt her grab my shoulders gently. "I'm sorry, Anna. Breathe deeply. Just calm down. Breathe."

I forced myself to take deep controlled breaths, until I felt better. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Miss Electra was still in front of me. She gave a sympathetic sigh. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I shouldn't have asked you. Look, I know how you feel, and-"

"No, you don't," I said in a sharp tone. "You don't know anything about it."

Miss Electra fell silent, and I bit my lip regretfully. "I'm sorry Miss Electra. I didn't mean to be rude." I stared at my lap, not wanting to look at her.

"Perhaps...perhaps we should end class a little bit early today. It's our last day after all," Miss Electra said quietly.

"All right," I murmured, still focussed on my lap. "Goodbye Miss Electra."

"Goodbye Anna." She got up and left the room. Some seconds later I heard her, speaking to my father. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but my father sounded insistent. Quietly, I got up from my chair in the den, and went over to the door. In the hallway, I saw them standing by the front door.

"- very gifted, but if she can't use her powers, then it's no use."

"She just needs some more time. I tell you, she's strong-"

"It's been _six months_ , Mr Arrian."

Miss Electra exhaled heavily. "If Anna doesn't return to Sky High and receive the proper _physical_ training she needs...there's only so much I can teach her. I'm sorry."

The door closed. I left the confines of the doorway and walked over to him. His expression was troubled, but his face automatically lit up as soon as he saw me. "Hey kid," he said, too cheerily.

I didn't smile back at him. "If I don't go back, I won't be able to graduate, will I?"

"You don't have to worry about that now, Annie."

"But I do. I'm supposed to graduate next year."

My father dropped his gaze, and sighed. He didn't reply.

"I have to go to work now. Will Mom be here when I get back?"

"She should be."

I smiled at the thought of seeing her again. "I'll see you later Dad. I love you."

"Love you too, Annie."

Xxxxx

I had gotten a job at Maxville's Value Mart, to keep me busy. My parents also thought it'd be good for me, getting out of the house regularly. But there was more to it than that. Working in a regular store with regular people (for the most part) made it easier to forget what had happened. For a while, I could pretend I was just like everyone else.

Maxville's Value Mart was one of the main grocery stores in the city. Because of this, I often saw a lot of the kids and teachers from Sky High, doing their shopping. One person I saw regularly at the Value Mart was Warren Peace, who would run errands for both his mother, and his employers at The Paper Lantern. Whenever we saw one another, I would give him a small wave, and he'd acknowledge me with a nod and a faint smile. We'd sometimes exchange a few meaningless words, keeping carefully off the subject of school and...what had happened.

That is, until today.

When I spotted him in the Oils and Seasonings aisle, I gave him the obligatory wave. But as soon as he saw me, he made his way over, an indignant expression on his face.

"It's been two weeks Anna. And you're _still_ out of sesame seed oil?"

I think he wanted to look intimidating, but the emotion didn't reach his eyes. He was obviously teasing.

I sighed, trying to suppress a smile. "You know we're having delivery issues with the suppliers. And you didn't fool me with that scary guy bit for a second."

He tried to keep his expression firm, but failed; a small smile tugged at his mouth. "Worth a try."

I shook my head good-humouredly. Warren walked alongside me as I carried a box of organic sea salt to restock the shelves. For a while, neither of us said anything. I glanced curiously at him from the corners of my eyes. Something was up- Warren wasn't exactly the type for unnecessary social visits.

He finally broke the silence. "So, the summer's almost over."

Oh great. Here it comes, I thought with a sinking feeling. "Hm," was all I said, nodding, as I placed the containers neatly on the shelves.

"School starts in a week."

"Hm," I said again.

"Gym's supposed to be brutal this term," Warren said, trying to keep his voice casual. "I hear they really drill you in your senior year-"

"Yeah well, tell me how that works out for you." I muttered, never pausing in my work.

I heard Warren sigh. "Won't you even _consider_ going back?"

"No, I won't. I'm being home schooled, and I'm pretty happy with it, thanks."

Warren scoffed. "Arrian," he said, his voice lowered, "Look, I know it's been tough for you these past few months-"

"Yes," I interrupted, "You _do_ know, Warren. Which is why you should understand why I won't go back there." I put the last of the sea salt on the top shelf and tucked the box under my arm. I began to walk away, indicating that the conversation was now over. But Warren walked beside me, refusing to drop the issue.

"Think I don't know what this is?"

"What are you talking about?" I tried not to let the irritation creep into my voice.

"I'm talking about you, using your fear as an excuse to drop out."

"I'm not dropping out," I shot back defensively. "I told you, I'm being home schooled-"

"In this line of work, it's practically the same thing."

We were by the frozen meat section at that point. I suddenly stopped and turned around to face him. His expression was hard, determined, but I was equally adamant. "Listen to me, Warren. I don't know if you feel you owe me this little pep talk because I helped your dad-"

"That's _not_ why I-"

"Whatever it is, just... stop it, okay? I'm not what you think." I sighed sharply. "I'm not a Hero."

Warren gazed at me with sheer defiance. "I don't believe that Anna. I know that you don't either. If you did, you never would've walked into that prison with me."

I fell silent. It was the first time he'd referred to that night, since the day of the funeral. I felt an old familiar stab of grief, but I made my face expressionless, cold. I was furious with him.

"No," I said in a harsh whisper, staring him straight in the eye. "Don't you dare bring that up."

The hurt and anger in my voice must have been obvious, because Warren looked away with a guilty expression. "Arrian...I just don't want you making a big mistake."

"That's not for you to decide."

"It's just that-"

"I have to get back to work Warren." My tone was tinged with finality. I wanted him to leave. Immediately.

Warren stared at me for a moment, with a strange calculating look in his eyes. But he turned and walked away without another word.

xxxxxx

By the time I'd done some extensive inventory in the back rooms, restocked the flour, and mopped up spilled juice in one of the aisles, my shift was over. I signed out, said goodbye to a couple of my co-workers, and then I left.

As I waited for the bus home, I forced myself not to think. I stared at two birds flying behind a tall building. I listened intently to the sounds cars made as they went by, and the random chatter of people's conversations. But it only worked for a few minutes.

Warren's words tormented me as I stepped onto the bus and took a seat near the front. Because the fact of the matter was, I _was_ scared. Scared of the possibility that what he was telling me was true; that I _was_ using my fear as an excuse. I didn't want to think about any of it, and I was furious at him for making me.

But my angry resentment vanished quickly as I thought of my mother, who was probably home already. When the bus reached my stop I jumped out, and raced toward my house, so excited was I to see my mom again. I was so eager to get home I bumped into Mr. Peters my neighbour, nearly knocking him down.

"Hey, watch it there!"

"Sorry!" I called out over my shoulder.

As soon as I burst through the front door, I cried out, "Mom?"

"In here, Annie," called my father's voice from the kitchen.

I ran into the kitchen. And there my mother was, sitting with my dad. They were holding hands. But she was different. She'd lost some weight since the last time I saw her, and her eyes were slightly watery. But they lit up as soon as she saw me.

"Hi, honey!" she exclaimed as she stood up to greet me.

Elated, I rushed to her and flung my arms around her neck. She felt so small in my arms, so slight, not like my mother at all. It made me a little sad, despite my joy at seeing her again.

"I missed you." It was all I could manage.

"Oh Anna... I missed you too," she whispered, holding me tight, but not tight enough. Her voice sounded fragile, just like the rest of her. My mind raced worriedly- what was wrong with her?

"Mom, what's the matter? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine honey. Really, I am."

"She just needs to rest, Annie. She'll be fine," Dad told me, in what tried to be a reassuring tone. It didn't quite take.

I carried her bags upstairs, and returned to the kitchen to start making dinner. Mom wanted to do it, but I wasn't going to have her lift a finger, till she got better from...whatever it was.

xxxxxxxx

I brought my mother her dinner in bed. It was vegetable soup, one of the few dishes I was actually good at making. She took a spoonful and sighed happily. "This is wonderful, Anna."

I sat on the bed next to her. "Thanks Mom. I'm glad you like it."

She continued to eat, and I watched her in silence for a while. She looked better for the food, and that made me feel good. I was so happy that she was back home at last. I'd missed her terribly since she'd gone, but I knew it was for the best. Now that she was home though, things were going to be different. I was never going to put her through that hell again. I was going to put that aspect of my life aside, and be normal, just like her.

Finally, she set aside the bowl. She leaned forward and took my face in her hands. I felt her fingers trace the long thin scars on my cheek, gazing at them sadly.

I'd gotten those scars back when Paul and I had fought in that prison, back when he had tried to kill Barron Battle. But I didn't want to dwell on that. My mom was home. We were a whole family again. And I wasn't going to mess it up. Not this time.

"Anna," my mom's voice interrupted my thoughts, "I was talking to your father this afternoon. He was telling me...how well you're doing in school."

I shot her a look of disbelief. She'd just come home! How could she even bring herself to talk about school, after everything that had happened? "Mom, let's not do this right now, okay? You need to rest-"

"I'm fine," she assured me. "Please Anna...I think we should discuss this."

"But there's nothing to discuss. I'm being home schooled, I'm doing great- isn't that enough?" I tried to remain calm. But my voice rose, beyond my control. "I mean, why is everyone pressing me about this? I made up my mind. I don't want to go back."

My mother swung her legs over the side of the bed, so that she was sitting beside me. She placed her arm around my shoulders. "Anna Arrian," she said quietly, but firmly, "There was a time in your life when all you ever talked about was being a Hero. It was your dream, your dream to save and protect people, just like your father-"

"Oh yeah? And look how that worked out for him," I muttered bitterly.

"Don't you dare talk like that about your father," my mother said sharply. "I know that things didn't turn out the way any of us wanted for him. But do you know how many people are _alive_ because of him?"

She glanced away from me, obviously hurt. I felt ashamed of myself. "Mom... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

She smiled forgivingly, still looking straight ahead. "It hasn't been easy for either of us, I know. I can't imagine it would be for anyone. But I never complained. Partly because I wanted to be a good wife, but also...because I knew. Call it destiny or fate, but... your father... it was what he was _meant_ to do." She looked me at length. "It's what _you're_ meant to do."

"No, it's not," I insisted in a whisper.

"Anna, I look at you, and-" She stopped, sighing. "I see how much you still want that dream. I also see how scared you are. But this isn't your conviction talking. If you let your fear make this decision for you, you'll regret it always. I know you will."

"But look what this has done to you, to all of us! I can't live like that anymore."

"Do you think things will magically become normal if you decide not to be a Hero? It doesn't work that way. Anna, your choice is so much bigger than this family. Don't you see? You have so much to offer the world."

I blinked at my mother's last words. It was the same thing Warren had said to me months ago, the day of the funeral. I didn't care to hear it then, the pain of my cousin's death still too fresh. But now I had to listen. There was nothing to distract me.

"Anna?" my mother said after a lengthy silence. "What are you thinking, honey?"

I couldn't bring myself to tell her- how afraid I was of Sky High, of the memories it held, of the people there, who all knew the terrible thing I'd done. There was no way I would tell her. She'd been through enough for one year.

"Nothing," I murmured.

xxxx

I left my mother to get her rest, as I took her dishes to the kitchen and washed them. Once in my room, I switched on my lamp light, and stared at myself in the mirror. I saw my own brown somber eyes staring back at me; casually examined the three thin scars that began just below my left eye and ended at the corner of my mouth; noted how much older my expression seemed. It had been ages since I could look at myself directly. There were other subtle little changes, but they all conspired to alter me in a way that both surprised and saddened me.

I sat on my bed and stared at my hands. I remembered the last time they were filled with brilliant light, the very power that killed my cousin Paul. But this time I felt different, calmer than I had in months.

For the time since the tragedy, I allowed myself to _remember_ Paul, the way he'd been before the darkness. I remembered him laughing, his dry sarcastic voice when he told me jokes, the wonderful grilled cheese sandwiches he'd make when I came to visit. I wanted to remember the good in him, the things that made me love him so much. I wanted to remember the dream we'd shared of saving the world.

When he died, I'd abandoned it, letting it die along with him. I'd thought if we couldn't have that dream together, then I didn't want it anymore. But deep down inside, I knew I still did. And as silly as it seemed, I felt as if I were still betraying him for wanting it.

I took a deep breath, and then exhaled. Another. And another. And raised my hands, willing the light to come. My hands immediately tingled with the familiar warmth. The suddenness of it made me gasp. The warmth vanished. I sighed. I still wasn't ready. Not yet.

But I was ready for what I did next.

I pulled my textbooks from my table drawer. I looked them over: The _Physics of Super Abilities_. _Super Heroes: A Super History_. The _Hero's Persona- Acting for the Young Hero_. _Mad_ _Science and You_.

I gathered them in my arms, with my eyes closed. Then I placed them in my bag nearby.


	2. Welcome Back?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Two- Welcome Back?**

The rain was falling. Not a light drizzle, but a downpour so heavy that my umbrella strained against it. The water sloshed noisily against my rain boots as I made my way to the bus stop. I peered up at the dark clouds above me, trying not to take the weather as a bad sign.

A few days ago, when I told my parents of my decision, there'd been a brief second of silence, where they gave me a look of mild surprise. Then my father took me by the shoulders, and asked me, "Are you sure, Annie? I mean, are you absolutely sure?"

"I'm sure Dad," I told him, and was glad to hear that my voice sounded level and confident. He smiled, a proud relieved smile, and hugged me. Over his shoulder, I saw my mom. She gazed at me warmly, but there was the slightest hint of sadness in her eyes. It was then I realized- she'd never wanted this life for me. But she knew it was where I belonged.

I mused over this as I waited at the bus stop. I thought I was doing pretty well for myself so far. I had taken a shower, gotten dressed, had a little breakfast, and walked all the way to this point without a single panic attack. It surprised me. I wasn't okay exactly- the butterflies in my stomach were having a field day- but at least I didn't feel like I would pass out at any second.

It reminded me of my first day at Sky High. I was so nervous about Power Placement- I was sure I'd do something to humiliate myself.

" _You do know the freshmen have to have brain scans, don't you?" Paul said with a perfectly straight face._

" _What?!" My heart jumped._

" _And give a blood sample, with a needle_ this _big," he added._

" _Paul, that's not funny!" I wailed._

_He laughed at the expression on my face. But he tried to look serious as he took my hand. "Come on Anna, you know I'm just kidding."_

" _You and your stupid jokes," I muttered._

" _Hey, you laugh at most of them," he said, chuckling. "But honestly. You have nothing to worry about. You'll do great. Besides, I'll be right there with you the whole time."_

And he was.

The bus pulled up then. Sandy Mason, our neighborhood driver, opened the doors.

"Good-" She broke off, stunned to see me. "Morning," she finished quietly.

"Morning," I muttered, lowering my eyes as I closed my umbrella and stepped inside. Everyone went silent as soon as they saw me. I could tell they were trying not to stare, their expressions ranging from flagrant curiosity, to genuine surprise, to downright terror. Thankfully, I found a completely empty row near the back. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sank into the seat.

As soon as we were airborne, I summoned enough courage to drag my gaze upward. The tension had more or less dispersed. Some of them had resumed their conversations. Others were whispering in a not so subtle way. A couple of kids were looking right at me, being bold enough to turn right around in their seat.

A blond haired boy and a girl with dark red hair. I recognized them, though I couldn't remember their names, or what abilities they possessed. They were... had been... friends of Paul. The boy's face was perfectly expressionless, so much so that it appeared as if he were looking right through me.

The girl on the other hand... her green eyes were cold, hostile. She wanted to make it clear that she knew exactly what I'd done.

Of course she knew. They all knew. But I met her icy gaze with my calm one, refusing to show any insecurity. We stayed like this for what seemed like several minutes. Then finally, she turned away.

The bus rose above the dark heavy clouds, finally bursting into dazzling sunlight. I shut my eyes, opening them gradually to get used to the sudden brilliance.

And there it was. My pulse quickened as I saw my school hovering in what was now a clear blue sky. The bus touched down gently, and the students made their way outside. I trailed slowly behind, not wanting to bump into anyone.

A cool burst of air hit me as soon as I stepped off the bus. Looking around, I saw the other kids greeting each other; hugging, laughing, asking about their summer. It was only then that I realized how alone I truly was. I had never made any _real_ friends here. I always had Paul, so I never saw the need for anyone else. Now he was gone, and I felt as if I were a stranger in a strange land, despite having been here for the past three years.

Sighing thoughtfully, I slung my bag over my shoulder. Today might be difficult, but I was going to get through it no matter what. _We are all of us so much stronger than we give ourselves credit for,_ my mother always told me. I wanted to believe that now.

A lot of kids stared as I walked along the corridor. I forced myself not to speed up, not to panic. _You're fine_ , I told myself. _It's not that bad. You'll be fine._

I found my way to the Admissions Office to receive my new timetable. I scanned it briefly, since it was all the same courses I'd taken the previous term. It was only a question of which class was being held when.

I reached my new homeroom and walked inside. I was fairly early, so only a few kids were there. As expected, they went quiet, murmuring softly. I only half noticed this however. By then I'd seen Warren, sitting at a table near the far side of the wall. He was hunched over some kind of magazine, so absorbed in its pages that he didn't see me approach.

I stopped before him, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu as I cleared my throat.

Warren looked up, slightly disoriented, as he pushed his hair out of his eyes. But confusion soon turned to shock when he saw me.

"Arrian," he murmured at last.

"Hey Warren," I said quietly.

Slowly he sat up straighter in his seat, as I placed my bag on the desk nearby. "What made you change your mind?" he asked me in a tone that was still slightly incredulous.

I shook my head as I thought about it. "I don't know. Everything. What you said, what my mom said-"

"Your mom?"

"Yeah, I know. She's still not completely on board with the whole thing, but... she said it's what I was meant to do."

Warren nodded, smiling faintly. "She's right."

"Well, anyways, I really came over to say...thank you."

He gave me a puzzled look.

"For trying to help, to convince me to come back," I explained.

The bell rang, signaling the start of homeroom. Swallowing nervously, I picked up my bag. As I turned to take my seat near the front of the class, Warren called out, "Arrian?"

I stopped. "Yeah?"

He glanced down at his desk before looking at me again. "Welcome back," he said matter of factly.

xxxxxx

The last student walked into the room. I picked up my timetable again, looking to see who would be my new homeroom teacher. My stomach dropped when I saw the name. Shakily, I looked over to the door as he walked in.

"Good morning, Heroes. I'm Andrew Mnemonic, your new homeroom teacher."

I stared at him, not knowing what to do, or how to feel. Mr. Mnemonic was (and according to my timetable still remained) my Hero History teacher. He was the one who placed Paul and me in the group project with Warren Peace, which I always regarded as the beginning of the end.

It all started with that project. It all started with him.

Mr. Mnemonic was about to take attendance. He opened his folder, and I gazed at him with a strange kind of morbid anticipation as he read the first name on the list: noticed the bobbing of his Adam's apple as he swallowed, the way his head shot up as he scanned the classroom, looking for-

Me. Our eyes met for a time. His face was an uncertain blend of grave surprise, which gave way to mild pity. _That_ bothered me.

"Anna Arrian," he murmured in a distant but determined voice.

I wanted to say 'present', to have him just get on with it. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just stared at him, overwhelmed with an emotion I couldn't identify, as he waited for me to reply.

Finally he turned away and ticked my name. "Ah... Jasmine Blake?"

And then it was over. Mr. Mnemonic made a few announcements, some of which I automatically wrote down in my scrap notebook. I didn't look up for the rest of the period.

Lunchtime came around sooner than expected. Grabbing a tray, I looked around for a seat. And again, people stared. But it didn't bother me as much as it did earlier; maybe I was getting used to it. And they'd eventually grow tired of it all and move on to something (or someone) else.

I searched for an empty table in the most inconspicuous spot. Inadvertently my eyes turned to a table near the exit, by one of the large windows. It was empty. It usually was, since one leg was shorter than the others, which made the whole thing rock slightly. But it was more than just a wobbly table. It was _our_ table, Paul and me, even though I always hated sitting there.

Setting my tray down, I placed my notebook under the shorter leg. Then I sat down in my old seat, and unwrapped my sandwich. I stared at the place where Paul would sit across from me and tried to imagine him there, cracking one of his lame jokes. But I couldn't do it right. I couldn't picture his face clearly.

I glanced away and bit into my sandwich. It had only been a few a months and already I was starting to forget.

xxxxxx

After lunch, I went to the girl's bathroom to wash my hands. I went into one of the stalls to grab some paper to dry them, when I heard the door open.

"- can't believe she even had the nerve to come back here."

"I don't know Kylie. I mean, they said it was an accident. She was trying to stop him from killing-"

"A Super-villain that had it coming?" Kylie snapped.

They hadn't seen me. I slowly stepped backed into the stall, closing the door quietly.

The girl called Kylie was still talking. "You know what? It doesn't even matter. She killed him, her own cousin. End of story."

I bit my lip, too hard, and tasted the metallic tang of my own blood. Cautiously, I opened the door a crack. It was that red-haired girl from the bus. She was talking to another girl who was shorter, and had a somewhat timid looking face.

"It's not that clear cut, Kylie," the shorter girl reasoned.

"Hey, you're entitled to your own opinion Nicole, but whatever," Kylie said dismissively. She examined her face in the mirror, tucking a lock of red hair behind her ear. "I got to hand it to her though, she's got guts...if I had my face messed up like that, I'd never leave the house."

"Kylie!" Nicole admonished, but she giggled.

"Oh please- you know you were thinking it," she murmured nonchalantly. ."She stared at her reflection thoughtfully. "Well Paul...at least you went down swinging. Let's go, Nicole."

As soon as they were gone, I opened the door further and stepped out of the stall. Gingerly, I touched my scarred cheek. I was shaking. What she'd said about my face was awful, but I could cast that aside. Talking about Paul and what I'd done however, the way she had... I wasn't prepared to let that go.

xxxx

The bell rang out, signaling the end of classes for the day. I stuffed my Mad Science textbook into my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and walked out of the classroom. As I headed toward the front entrance, I heard a voice laughing.

Ahead of me, I saw Kylie with the boy from the school bus, and Nicole. Kylie was laughing at something one of them said. I stared at her with a quiet fury, wondering why Paul would ever have wanted to be friends with a girl like her.

"Arrian?"

I glanced to my left. Warren was looking at me oddly.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, how was your first day?"

"Fine, it was fine," I said distractedly.

"You okay? You don't look so good."

"So I hear."

"What?"

"Never mind. Warren, do you know that girl? The redhead in front of us."

"Uh, yeah. That's Kylie Jordan. She's in our Concepts of Super Physics class. I partnered with her in a Save the Citizen session last year."

"What else do you know about her?"

Warren looked at me curiously, but went on, "Well...she's an illusionist."

"Illusionist?"

"She can get in your head. Make you see things, hear things that aren't really there."

"What kind of things?"

"Anything she wants."

I thought about that for a while, but didn't say anything else.

"Arrian... did she say something to you?"

"No," I answered smoothly. After all, it was the truth. Technically.

Realization crossed his face as he studied me. He shot me a critical look. "Did she say something _about_ you?

Glancing away shiftily, I didn't answer.

Warren sighed. "Arrian, just ignore her, okay? Kylie trash talks everyone, she's notorious for it."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Warren raised his eyebrows, and shrugged. "Fine by me. Hey, you're the one who asked questions about her."

We were on the front steps. "My bus is over there," I told him.

"Yeah, I know."

"Well...see you."

He nodded once and, shoving his hands in his pockets, walked away.

xxxxxx

"Anna, is that you?"

"Yeah Mom."

My mom and dad came in from the kitchen as I dropped my bag by the door.

"So what's for dinner?"

"Three bean casserole." My mother's face was bright, expectant.

"So? How was it Annie?" my father asked eagerly.

They both looked so happy, so desperate to hear that it all went well. I forced a smile.

"Great, it was great."

And seeing the look on their faces, the lie was worth it.


	3. "I'm not okay."

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Three- "I'm not okay."**

"And please don't forget to read Chapter twenty-seven, _The Legacy of the Side-kick_. I want a summary of it on my desk Monday morning," Mr. Mnemonic reminded us, as we packed up our things. The class groaned.

"Yeah yeah, I know," he muttered. The bell rang then, signaling the end of Hero History, and classes for the rest of the day. "Have a good weekend, everyone."

I was overwhelmingly relieved that the week was over at last. It hadn't been easy, but things had more or less settled down. The other kids didn't stare nearly as much anymore, or go quiet the moment I entered a room, which made me especially grateful.

Since that first morning, Mr. Mnemonic and I had only addressed one another when it was absolutely necessary. Roll call consisted of him looking up to make sure I was there, and then checking off my name. He never called on me to answer a question, and I never asked him one.

As I put the last of my books into my bag, a girl came into the class, and murmured something inaudible to him.

"Anna Arrian? Principal Powers would like to see you." His face was carefully nonchalant, an expression he'd cultivated over the past few days, and one he used when he had no choice but to talk to me directly.

I nodded silently in acknowledgement, and hoisting my backpack on my shoulders, left the room.

Upon reaching the office, the secretary told me to go in. But I knocked softly on the door anyway.

"Come in."

Inside, Principal Powers was seated at her desk, her hands folded.

"Hello Anna. Please, have a seat."

Nervously, I obliged. I'd been in the principal's office only three or four times in the course of my high school career, and it was never for anything good.

Principal Powers gazed at me pleasantly for a moment before asking, "So, how was your first week back?"

"Um...it was fine." Surely she didn't call me here just to ask me how my week was.

"I'm glad to hear that. Your teachers say you've been adjusting very well."

"Yes," I answered uncertainly.

She smiled at me. "But even so, if ever you feel too overwhelmed, don't hesitate to come see me. I can talk to the other teachers."

My posture automatically became ramrod straight. What in the world brought this on? "Principal Powers, with all due respect...I really don't want any kind of special treatment. I mean, wouldn't that sort of defeat the purpose of being here?"

She turned her head slightly as she considered me. "And why _are_ you here, Anna?"

The question surprised me. "Well, to...to become a Hero. Not to be treated like some kind of ..."

"Some kind of ... what?" Principal Powers asked gently.

"A victim," I finished, after a pause. "I'm not. I came back to become a Hero, to be trained and certified, like everyone else."

Principal Powers gave me a long, thoughtful look and I glanced away, trying not to show my irritation. It was becoming something of pet peeve, getting stared at.

"All right," she said at length. "Fair enough. That will be all. Have a good weekend."

"You too," I mumbled.

On the way out, I bumped into someone. "Sorry-"

"Will you _watch_ it?"

It was Kylie. She stopped when she saw it was me. Sneering, she took great care to stare scornfully at the scars on my cheek. I immediately turned that side of my face away, glaring at her from the corners of my eyes.

"Excuse me," I muttered tersely.

She snorted, but didn't make any effort to get out of my way. Suddenly furious, I shoved past her, my shoulder hitting hers, hard.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" she cried out angrily.

I ignored her, making my way outside.

xxxx

When I got home, my mother wasn't there. My dad was napping in the living room and I gave him a perfunctory kiss on the cheek before heading to the kitchen. Deciding to surprise my parents by making dinner, I pulled out a pack of short ribs and put it in the microwave to defrost, before getting to work on the potatoes.

"Anna?" my father's voice called out.

"In here."

My dad sauntered in, chuckling when he saw me. "Making dinner? That's a new one."

"Oh come on- I cooked about a week ago."

"What are you making?"

"Spare ribs and mashed potatoes, with roasted vegetables."

My dad raised his eyebrows, smiling. "Sounds great."

"Well, wait and see how it turns out. I can always disappoint," I joked.

He laughed. "So how was your day, Annie?"

My smile vanished, as I thought about what had happened after school. "It was okay, for the most part. Principal Powers called me into her office though, trying to be my 'friend'. She told me to come to her if things got to be too much." I shook my head. "It was weird."

My father sighed, looking at the floor. I paused for a moment, and looked at him. "What is it?"

He glanced up, with a sheepish expression. "I , ah...I called Principal Powers this morning. I sort of asked her to check up on you."

"Oh...I see. Huh." Deliberately, I turned back to the sink, picked up my potato, and resumed peeling.

"Annie, I know what you're thinking-"

"Oh really?" I didn't dare look at him at that moment in case I lost it.

"- but you shouldn't be upset. We're all very concerned about you, and-"

"You shouldn't have called her, Dad. The way she was acting, like I was unbalanced or something."

"Annie, I'm sorry that happened, but-"

"You shouldn't have called her," I repeated. "Why couldn't you have just left it alone?"

My father exhaled sharply. "Because I'm worried about you."

"I'm _fine_!" I burst out angrily. Struggling to regain my composure, I tried to deal with him levelly. "Look, ...I'm just _really_ getting tired of people telling me that. I'm okay now, honestly."

"But that's just it, baby. You're not."

He reached an outstretched palm towards me. It suddenly filled with a brilliant light. Automatically, I took a step back, keeping my eyes averted, unable to bear the sight of it.

The light went out. My father lowered his hand. He had proven his point.

I gazed unseeingly at the potatoes in the sink. Neither of us said anything for a long time.

At last, I murmured, "Fine. You're right. I'm not okay. Not by a long shot." I turned to look at him. "But I will be. In my own time, and in my own way. I don't need to be coddled, or guarded. What I _need_ is to be left alone. I'm not trying to be disrespectful or anything. I just want to be left alone, please."

My father's face was unreadable. Then without another word, he turned and walked out of the kitchen.

In a fog, I went through the motions of preparing dinner. For the first time in a long time, I felt small and helpless, like a five year old. It was a feeling I didn't get very often, and I hated it when it snuck up on me like this.

I wanted to use my powers, I really did. It seemed to be the source of all my problems. If only I could power up again as simply as before, everyone would see that I was okay. But I couldn't, because I wasn't. And that frustrated me more than anything.

xxxxx

Things were quiet at dinner that night. The short ribs were okay, but the mashed potatoes were a little runny. I picked some up with a spoon, watching it dribble out as I turned it over.

"Sorry," I mumbled to my parents. "Think I got a little excited with the milk."

My mother smiled. "That's okay, Anna. It still tastes very nice." My dad nodded in agreement, too eagerly it seemed to me.

More silence. I guessed my father had spoken to Mom about what I'd said. I groaned inwardly.

"Can I be excused?" I finally asked, unable to take the awkward tension any longer. "I just remembered- there's a ton of homework waiting for me."

"Okay, well... sure," my mother answered, with a swift glance at my father.

I was on my feet before she could finish her sentence, and resisted the urge to take the stairs two at a time.

Back in my room, I settled at my desk, with my textbooks before me. But I couldn't focus properly at first- the day's events blocked out everything else in my mind. I thought about Principal Powers and why my dad had called her; about Kylie and her stupid sneering attitude; about wanting to get back to a normal routine at Sky High; about being unable to power up for even a few seconds. It made me upset and angry all over again. So I opened up my assignment book and began reading, forcing myself to forget about it for the time being.

About half an hour into Concepts of Super Physics, I realized some notes were missing. Notes that I needed to finish my homework.

"Crap," I muttered, sighing in frustration.

I glanced at my cell phone. After a moment's hesitation, I grabbed it and scrolled down to the very end of my rather short list of contacts. I pressed the call button, and waited.

After three rings, there was an answer.

"Hello?" Warren's voice sounded unsure.

"Hey...um, it's me."

"Arrian? What's wrong?" His voice sounded more than a little anxious. Then I remembered- the last time I'd called him, was to tell him that his father was in mortal danger. Reassurance was clearly in order.

"What? Oh no, no- nothing's wrong! I mean, nothing serious. Well, you know, not too serious-"

"Arrian?" Warren interrupted pointedly.

I exhaled, feeling inefficient. "Sorry. Thing is, I'm... missing some homework notes. From Super Physics. Do you think you can read them out to me?"

A heavy sigh. "Hang on. Let me get my book."

It was fairly quiet on the other end for a few seconds, except for the slight rustling of paper.

"Ok, what's the last thing you wrote before you lost it?"

"Um..." I flipped a page and began to read.

"Ok, stop," Warren broke in. "You're missing about a page and a half. How'd you manage that?"

I remembered drifting in and out during class, but wasn't about to give him that excuse. "I…couldn't catch up," I lied lamely.

" _Right_." he said, obviously not believing me. "So, you ready?"

"Yeah," I told him, picking up a pen. "Go."

He read slowly, and I wrote down the words as fast as possible, but even so, he would stop at intervals to make sure I got everything. Finally, I finished scribbling the last of it.

There was a knock at the door. "Hang on," I murmured to Warren, as my father poked his head in.

"Hello Annie," he said, then saw the phone pressed to my ear. "Sorry, sorry," he whispered as he sat on my bed. "I'll wait."

I glanced worriedly at him before turning back to my phone. "So, yeah. I think that's it."

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "That your dad?" Warren's voice sounded a little wary.

"Yep," I said in a light voice for my father's benefit. "Well, I have to go now. Thanks for your help."

"No problem."

I switched off the phone, and turned to my father, with a plastered smile.

He grinned back at me. "Somebody from school?"

I knew my dad would have been less than thrilled if he knew I still had any contact with the son of one of his greatest enemies. Evading his question indirectly seemed the smarter choice. "Just wanted to get some notes I missed."

My dad nodded. "Good to see that you're making friends."

I chuckled nervously, then quickly changed the subject. "So, what's up?"

"Well...I've been thinking about what you said. And you're right. I shouldn't have called your principal. I should have trusted you to be able to handle yourself. I guess I went a little too far."

Smiling tentatively, I told him, "It's okay. Really."

My father stood up with some effort, looking thoughtful. "Well I'm off to bed," he announced, kissing me on the forehead.

"Ok, Dad. Good night."

When he left, I turned back to my desk, sighing. After the week I'd had, all that sounded good to me now was a quiet evening alone.

xxxx

I closed my books with a snap, exhausted beyond belief. I stretched, and turned off my desk light. It was late. Still, I decided to get some water before bed.

My parents had gone to bed, and the lights were off. But I knew my way around in the dark and got to the kitchen remarkably quickly. After filling a glass at the sink, I strolled to the front door and went to sit outside on the porch steps for awhile.

It was a very clear night- a few stars peeked through the trees that grew on the sidewalk. I sucked in a lungful of air, then exhaled, feeling much better.

There was a movement, out of the corner of my eye. Curiously, I squinted into the darkness, splashed with pale yellow light from the street lamps.

A shadowy figure stood across the street, looking straight in my direction. Uneasy, I got to my feet, still straining my eyes in the gloom.

The figure hadn't moved. Calling out in a soft uncertain voice, I murmured, "H-hello?"

No answer.

I stared at the dark shape for an eternity, it seemed. Then instinctively, I moved back up one step, towards the front door. Almost immediately the figure took an unnaturally graceful, sinister step forward. I took another step back, and it repeated its action. I took one more, and it stepped out into the street. And into the light.

Numbness washed over me. It was Paul. My dead cousin Paul.

And my world went black-

xxxxx

My eyes flew open and I sat up, breathing heavily. I was in my room, in my bed. It was morning, early and treacherously bright. And my thoughts, my emotions, my very consciousness was screaming at me that something was very, very wrong.


	4. Learning to Deal

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Four- Learning to Deal**

I spent three hours working the register at Maxville's Value Mart, an activity that left too much opportunity for my musings. As much as I tried to, getting the image of Paul out of my head proved impossible. I fought to convince myself that it was nothing more than an awful dream. But the vividness of it was too much to ignore- the cold night air on my skin, the unease of it, and his face…his _face_. So sickly gray, so hollow-eyed, so horrifyingly beautiful…

I shook my head gently. I had to keep myself in the present, not live in the tragedy of the past. Nothing good could possibly come of that.

"Anna?"

I flinched slightly. It was Darcy my co-worker. "Mr. Frederick says you can go on your lunch break now. I'll take over."

"Oh, thanks." I meant to sound upbeat, but the words came out vague, distant.

Five minutes later, I was sitting on a bench at the nearby bus stop, unwrapping a turkey sandwich. The employees' lounge was far too small and cramped for my liking. My co-workers thought I was weird for eating at a bus stop of all places. But I didn't care. It was a good place to people-watch and enjoy the remaining summer weather.

I thought about the last couple of months. Most kids like me had enrolled in Hero summer camp, or had travelled with their family to cities well known for its famous Heroes or Hero history. Some I knew would even have gone with their parents on active duty to the less risky field operations to see firsthand how the Hero job was done.

Last summer Paul and I had enrolled in Hero summer camp. It was our own private world where we could be ourselves in the open and not just powers- wise. We became Paul and Anna, best friends not Paul and Anna, Heroes-in-training. It was special to us.

I knew I'd never enroll in Hero summer camp again. In any case, I thought, I was probably getting too old for it now.

This summer was a monotonous routine of home school and work. I never even went out on a family trip to the movies, even though my parents had pleaded with me to go somewhere, anywhere with them. I'd simply lost interest…without Paul, what was the point of any of it?

"So, your shift's over?"

I glanced up. Warren was holding a bag of groceries in each arm, squinting down at me in the bright sunlight.

My mouth was full, so I shook my head. "I'm on lunch break," I explained as soon as I swallowed.

He raised an eyebrow at me but sat down, resting the bags on the bench in the space between us. "How's the paper coming along?"

"Finished it," I answered immediately, trying not to sound too smug.

Warren threw me an incredulous glance. "The whole thing? That was a six-page report."

"A burst of inspiration and too much time on my hands can work wonders," I told him wryly, popping the tab on my can of coke. "What's up with you anyways? Aren't you working today?"

"I'm on the late shift," he explained, glancing up the street to see if the bus was coming.

"Oh." Several seconds went by, as I deliberated briefly and finally came to a decision.

"Warren, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

Clearing my throat nervously, I ventured, "Have you ever had a dream that was so vivid…you could have sworn was it real?"

"Yeah, that's happened a couple of times. But it's not exactly out of the ordinary."

"No, you don't understand. I mean, a dream that was…real. Like it actually happened."

My pitch was just a bit too high, my tone a little too insistent. Warren was blatantly confused. "Arrian, what are you trying to say?"

My sudden emotion had taken me by surprise – I wondered if I'd said too much. I found myself backtracking. "Nothing, I guess. It was just a thought I had. Forget it."

He didn't look convinced. "You sure?"

"Yeah." I didn't believe I could get him to understand, since I didn't fully understand it myself. It was better to let it go.

The bus pulled up in front of us. Warren stood and picked up his bags, glancing at me with mild concern. "Okay…well, see you in school."

"See you."

As the bus pulled away, a dark uneasiness settled on me.

xxxxx

There were no dreams of Paul that night. I forced myself to keep busy with study, work and chores. But when I went to bed, I couldn't help but think about the dream. And the more I thought about it, the more absurd it became to me. It was only a dream, a manifestation of the trauma I'd suffered because of Paul's death. I made up my mind not to think of it anymore, or let it upset me the way it had.

I woke up early Sunday morning and opened my desk drawer. Inside was a picture of Paul and me when we were little kids. I'd broken the frame that held it on the day of Paul's funeral, but I never replaced it- it still lay in the drawer, the glass now gone.

I picked up the photograph, looking at the grin on my face, a joy equally reflected in Paul's. It was taken at my birthday party. I had just turned nine. I had felt so grown up, especially when Paul told me that being nine meant I was officially a 'big kid'. I laughed, remembering when he said I'd never get too old for him to keep me in check.

On an impulse, I kneeled down and reached under my bed, pulling out a box filled with old photo albums. I spent over an hour looking over pictures, watching Paul at seven years old, eight, nine, ten- and growing taller than ever at fifteen, sixteen, seventeen-

The pictures ended.

He was so young, too young. And suddenly I was filled with an unbearable ache as I realized how much I missed him.

xxxxxxxx

Monday morning came with the smell of eggs and sausage. My mother coaxed me out of bed and settled me at the table with a plate that had far too much food for me. I could tell from the looks on my parents' faces that they'd noticed the mood I'd been in over the past couple of days. But instead of trying to get me to open up, they chose another tactic- talking about something else entirely.

Soon they drew me into a discussion about Mom's herb garden, and whether Dad should revamp the den. He made a joke about not being able to paint a wall, far less renovate an entire room, which got me and Mom laughing. For those few moments, we were just a normal family having our morning meal. When breakfast was over, I felt better than I had in a long time. Before I left for school I hugged them both gratefully.

Life at Sky High looked a lot more promising. Taking out a couple of texts from my locker, I even ventured smiles to whoever happened to catch my eye. Some kids got flustered and looked away, others smiled tentatively back at me.

" _You're_ in a good mood," Warren commented, as he settled in the chair behind me in Mad Science.

"Yeah I am," I replied, as I tested out a pen on a piece of scrap paper. I turned around in my seat to face him. "I've finished all my assignments, the weather's great. What's not to be happy about?"

Warren cocked an eyebrow. "You tell me. You seemed kind of upset the other day."

My smile slipped, but only for a moment. "It was nothing, just a bad feeling, you know? But I'm good now. Things are finally starting to look up."

Lunchtime came around and I went to my usual table, tray in hand. As I started on my mini fruit bowl, my thoughts already turned to the weekend. Even though the week had only just started, I couldn't help it- I felt something so close to happiness for the first time in months, and I wanted to take full advantage of it. If the weather held up like this, maybe my parents and I could go to the local Botanical Gardens, I thought warmly. I could make a picnic, and-

I paused in mid-thought. Something felt wrong all of a sudden. I slowly looked over to my left. Kylie Jordan, Nicole, and the blond boy I'd seen her with before were there, all watching me. Kylie's expression was one of pure and intense dislike; Nicole was unsmiling, but didn't look particularly unfriendly; the blond boy kept his silent vacant stare, as if he were looking right through me into nothingness.

Frowning, I turned back to my lunch, trying to keep my mood light, which was becoming increasingly difficult. Kylie was obviously still upset about me knocking into her the other day. I felt a pang of regret at that, but it couldn't be helped- it was already done.

When I glanced back to their table, Nicole and the blond boy were now paying attention to their food. Kylie however, was still staring. I tried to focus on finishing my lunch, wanting to forget all about her.

When the bell rang for the next class, I stepped out into the corridor and almost instantly ran into Kylie. She turned on me with an expression of mild disgust, as if she just brushed against something filthy. I knew she'd stopped short on purpose, but I didn't want to make a scene. "Sorry," I muttered shortly and made to walk around her. But she stepped in front of me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her two friends. Nicole, biting her lip nervously and looking around at the gathering crowd, the blond boy looking at the both of us with the hint of a frown, yet making no move to intervene.

"No, I'm not accepting that," she said contemptuously.

"Kylie," Nicole began, "Let's just get to class, ok? We'll be late." Turning to the blond boy, she muttered in a half whisper, "Jonah- do something!"

But Kylie ignored them both. She took another step towards me in what she thought was a menacing way. I wasn't impressed.

"What is your _problem_?" I asked quietly.

" _You_ are my problem!" she immediately shot back.

I shook my head at her incredulously. "I'm not getting into this with you," I told her in an icy voice. "I said I was sorry. It was an accident."

She leaned forward and looked at me dead on. "Is that what you told yourself when you _murdered_ your cousin?" Her voice was low but very clear, her green eyes flashing.

My breath hitched in my throat as a coldness ripped through me. All the wonderful memories I had of Paul vanished, replaced by the image of him dying in agony…because of what I'd done. And the old pain, the horror of it, bled afresh within me.

The tears came quickly as I looked up at her with a grief and hatred that shocked me. And I didn't think- I didn't _want_ to think. In that brief moment of fury my right hand was already curled into a fist, aimed for her jaw, and I let fly.

But the blow never landed.

A flame tattooed wrist suddenly shot out, blocking me- Warren had grabbed my fist from behind, his other hand gripping my left shoulder firmly.

" _Don't_ Arrian!" he ordered sharply.

"Let me go- right now!" I shouted, trying to hold back my sobs.

Kylie stood defiantly with her arms folded. "Oh, come on. After everything you've done and _now_ you cry?"

"Quit it, Kylie!" Warren snarled.

I let out an angry shriek and lunged at her. But Warren tightened his grip, holding on to me obstinately.

" _Stop_ it! Don't you see that's what she wants?!"

But I didn't care. All I wanted at that moment was to make her suffer, hurt her as she'd hurt me.

"Just try it Anna, I dare you!" she taunted nastily.

"I said _shut up_ , Jordan!" Warren yelled.

"What is going on here?!"

It was Principal Powers. Warren immediately let go of me. With the principal there, I forced myself to calm down. I wiped my tears away as she stepped into the rapidly widening ring of space that Kylie, Warren and I now stood in.

"I'm going to ask one more time… what is going on?"

"Nothing," I whispered, looking away.

"Oh? It doesn't look that way to me," she said. Looking around to the rest of the students, she added, "And why aren't all of you in class?"

I'd rarely seen a crowd disperse so quickly. As soon as they were gone, Principal Powers turned back to us, her features stern.

"The three of you. In my office. Now," she said in her most imposing voice.

xxxxx

"So, no one is going to tell me anything?"

I threw a hateful glance at Kylie, who rolled her eyes and glared at her shoes. I didn't look at Warren, but was almost certain his expression was dark, passive. The three of us shared one thing though- we all kept our mouths shut.

But Principal Powers wasn't having any of it. She gave each of us a deliberate, calculating look for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she leaned casually back into her seat, and announced that she would be calling to our parents and giving us a week's detention. Kylie finally cracked.

"But that's not fair!" she burst out. "Anna started it!"

I heard Warren give a sharp, angry intake of breath. Powers obviously heard it too- she turned to him.

"Warren? Do you have something to say?"

Reluctantly, I turned and looked at him. Just as I suspected, he wore that sullen detached expression as he matched Principal Powers' gaze evenly.

"Mr. Peace," Powers tried again, "is Kylie telling the truth?"

He hesitated a moment, but only a moment. Shifting his gaze to Kylie, he answered, "No, she's not. Kylie's the one who started it."

Kylie gave an angry gasp. "You _liar_!"

"You wanna call me that again?!" Warren had shot to his feet, staring at the red-haired girl with such ferocity I thought he would attack her on the spot.

"That's enough you two," Principal Powers began, but neither of them seemed to hear her.

"You know that Anna tried to hit me!" Kylie raged.

"But she didn't!" Warren retorted.

"Only because you stopped her!"

"I wouldn't have had to if you just left her alone!"

"I said that's enough! _Sit_ … _down_ ," Principal Powers said sharply and they both went silent. Reluctantly Warren took his seat, still glaring at Kylie.

Powers turned to me at length. "Anna, you've been pretty silent about all of this. Would you like to tell me what happened?"

Up until this point I'd listened to the heated exchange between Warren and Kylie with no desire to take part myself. Kylie's words about what I did to Paul continued to cut me deeply. Talking was the least of my cares- I wanted to wrap my hands around Kylie's throat.

But I looked up at Principal Powers. And I realized that there was no other way out of it, that she'd call my parents if I didn't cooperate. So I broke down and told her everything- how Kylie had deliberately run into me, what she'd said about me in regards to Paul, how I tried to hurt her but Warren stopped me- everything. And then I couldn't say any more, couldn't apologize or anything, because I didn't trust my voice just then.

Principal Powers gave us a scrutinizing look in turn. Then she said, "All right. Warren, you may go to your class."

He threw her a slightly puzzled look, a look he then gave to me. But he stood up and left without another word.

After he had gone, Powers turned back to us, her face expressionless. "Anna, I would like you to remain here for a moment. As for you Kylie, you'll be staying after school…in detention."

"What?!" Kylie exploded. "But Anna's the one who tried-"

"Trying isn't _doing_ , Miss Jordan. You clearly were the instigator in this. Now please, go to class."

Kylie opened her mouth to argue, but snapped it shut. Standing up, she gave me a vicious look, before stalking out of the office.

I felt Powers' eyes on me, but I looked off to the side, knowing what was coming. I only half heard the talk she gave me. It was the usual speech- how I shouldn't let anyone get a rise out of me; how it was counterproductive to the Hero dynamic, etc.

It didn't matter to me though. I'd heard it all before- from Warren, from my parents. I got little satisfaction knowing that Kylie received detention. It was hardly justice for what she'd said, what she'd done to me. I would never forgive her for that. Never.

xxxxxx

Warren looked at me questioningly as I took my seat for the last class of the day, Hero Arts. But I ignored him and pretended to pay attention to Miss Julie, who was currently lecturing us on discovering and creating our own individual catch phrases. I was incensed. And not just at Kylie. Who did Warren think he was, getting in my way? All I wanted was to get a shot at Kylie, one good clean shot, to make her pay for what she said. But he took that chance away from me. And I was furious at him.

When class was over, I tried to leave as quickly as possible. But not quickly enough.

"Arrian! Hey, where's the fire?" Warren said as a weak joke, when he caught up with me at the front of the classroom.

I glared at him darkly, but said nothing as I made my way to the door.

But Warren stepped in front of me, looking bewildered. "Don't tell me that she gave you detention."

The classroom emptied fairly quickly, and I waited until everyone left before I spoke again.

"No, Kylie got detention."

"Then what's the prob-"

"You- why'd you have to interfere?" I burst out, my former wrath flaring up again. "I could've handled her! You never even let me try! Do you know what you've done?"

"Yeah, I do!" he retorted, getting angry himself. "You know Powers and the others think you're about to snap at any minute. The last thing you need to be doing is kicking the crap out of people."

"Oh, you should talk! You're such a hypocrite, you know that?"

"This isn't about me Anna!"

"You're right, it's not. It's about _me_ being torn apart, being completely-"

My voice broke. I bit down on my tongue hard, forcing the tears to stay hidden; my hands were clenched so tightly my nails were cutting into my palms. But it didn't matter to me.

Warren exhaled forcefully, crossing his arms. "If you're looking for an apology, it's not going to happen. Truthfully, I'd do it again."

I ground my teeth, suddenly wanting to hit him. "I don't want an apology. I _want_ you to cut out the big damn hero routine. I can take of myself, so just… just stay out of my way and stop interfering!"

My heart was pounding fiercely as I shouted this, and I didn't know why. I pushed past him, ignoring his shocked expression.

When I got home, I went straight to my room, yanked down the bedclothes and buried myself beneath them. Everything else was forgotten except the fury, the hurt. Trivial things like homework seemed awfully insignificant in comparison at that moment.

By dinnertime, I'd finally calmed down enough to think about the terrible events of that afternoon. My emotions, previously running red hot, now settled into a dull, terrible ache- my body longed for sleep. It was too much to wish for one good day, I supposed unhappily. I should have known- it all started off too perfectly. I almost dreaded what tomorrow would bring. I didn't think I could take anymore.

A knock resounded, louder than was normal it seemed, but I was too miserable to answer. The door opened anyway.

"Anna?" It was Mom. "Honey, are you sick?"

"No," I mumbled, still buried beneath the sheets. My voice sounded hoarse and thick, which didn't help.

"Oh, all right. Well...uh, dinner's ready."

"I'm not really hungry."

I heard her walk over to my bed and sit down. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Just tired."

"I see." I felt her hand rest gently on my arm. "You know if something's wrong…"

"I can come to you, I know," I said in a bored voice.

"Do you?" It was the way she said it that made me finally sit up, casting the sheets aside. I blinked in the dim light and looked at her.

It had only been a little over a week since she came back home, but my mother looked a lot better. She'd gained some weight, and her eyes were brighter. But she still had that sorrowful undertone in her expression that she could never completely hide, as she smoothed down my hair which was apparently sticking out in every direction.

Staring at her face, I realized how often I took my mother's passiveness for granted. All the times I'd told her I was fine, that there was nothing wrong, that everything was all right… I suspected she knew otherwise. But she never pushed me. She trusted me completely. And this was how I repaid her- by continuing to keep her in the dark about…well, everything.

And so I told her about Kylie, and the terrible things she'd said. "She didn't know anything about it," I muttered bitterly, then looked at her, almost pleadingly. "But it _was_ an accident Mom, I-"

"Sweetheart, listen to me," she cut in, holding my face in her hands. "None of us here doubt that for a second. We know you didn't mean it, but still…in the end, you did what had to be done. We know that. I know that."

It was the first time she'd acknowledged my part in Paul's death. I knew she'd never really blamed me for any of it, but to hear her finally say it closed a wound I didn't even know I had. I threw my arms around her, closing my eyes tightly. Neither of us let go for a long while. When I pulled away at last, she looked at me, her eyebrows raised. "So….what stopped you from hurting that girl?"

I snorted. "It wasn't my sense of nobleness if that's what you're thinking. No, someone held me back."

"Oh." My mother looked down at the wine colored paisley pattern on my bed. "Sounds like that person was being a good friend."

"'That person' should've stayed out of it," I said sharply.

Mom shook her head gently. "Considering your circumstances, I think your friend was right to intervene. You could have gotten a lot more than you think, Anna. You may not realize this, but since...Paul's death... you have to be very careful of what you do and say. It's not fair, but that's just the way it is. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I folded my arms, but in a protective way. "I guess…I didn't think of it like that."

"Well obviously someone did."

I didn't answer, stubbornly holding on to my anger. I frowned at my knees, keeping silent.

My mother stood up, brushing down her slacks. "I don't think you're angry at your friend, Anna. Not really. I just think you're very hurt right now, and want someone to blame."

"That's not it," I told her insistently. "I already blame Kylie!"

"One person isn't always enough. When our heart is broken, we'll lash out at anyone and everyone that comes too close. Even the people that are for us."

Those words made me feel slightly uneasy, and I fidgeted a little.

"If you change your mind about dinner, there'll be a hot plate in the microwave for you."

"Mom?" I called out as she placed her hand on the doorknob. "Please don't tell Dad about this, ok? He's already way too worried about me."

She smiled. "Don't worry. I won't."

As soon as I was alone, my thoughts came crashing down on me, with a violence that made me visibly twitch. I thought about what could have happened if I _had_ punched Kylie. Sure, I would have felt a lot better, but only for a while. There might have been letters from her parents, saying I was too dangerous to be allowed to remain at Sky High. Mom was right. I probably wouldn't have got away with that, even if another student could. I might even have been expelled, never able to finish my Hero training. And Warren saved me from that.

But I still didn't want to feel guilty about what I'd said to him. I tried to remember all the times he'd gotten into fights himself, times that I never went and got involved-

I blinked.

That wasn't true. I did get involved, once. It was a fight between him and Paul. And I'd stopped them, or at least tried to. I'd even taken his side, in a way. And now…

"Oh...I'm such a _jerk_ ," I groaned, leaning heavily into my pillows.


	5. Unexpected

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Five- Unexpected**

Warren avoided me like the plague in the days that followed, and I couldn't blame him. Yelling at him was a terrible thing to do, but I couldn't bring myself to apologize, not then. I decided to give it a few days to blow over and in the meantime, did the next thing that seemed logical to me- I ignored him completely.

About two days after the incident, the entire senior Hero class was to have what Coach Boomer called a 'special' gym session. We all met at the designated area behind the school, near the very edge of the grounds.

I saw Kylie with her two friends, and immediately looked away before she could do anything to upset me. My very skin prickled whenever she was near, something that made me dislike her even more, which I didn't think was possible.

Warren was standing a little way from the rest of us as usual, gazing somberly at nothing in particular. He'd taken great pains recently to not look anywhere in the vicinity of my direction. I couldn't help but feel a little insulted.

"Good morning Heroes!" Coach Boomer seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "Nice to see that you all could make it. Today we're going to have a slightly different gym class. Here I will be testing your reflexes, strength, persistence, and ability to make important decisions under pressure in a more realistic atmosphere. Now, I'll need a volunteer- Arrian! Come over here."

I jumped at the sudden call of my name, and a few people snickered. I thought he said we were supposed to volunteer?

I walked over to where he stood, closer than ever to the school's edge. "Yes Coach?"

"Arrian," he rumbled, "Do you believe you have the skills, power, strength of character and compassion to be a modern Hero worthy of Maxville, the United States of America and the world at large?" He sounded almost bored, as if he'd recited this once too many times.

"Yes," I answered promptly. Recited or not, it didn't seem like the kind of question that would tolerate hesitation.

"Are you _sure_?" he pressed.

I narrowed my eyes curiously at him, but repeated my answer. "Yes, I am."

"Good," he said simply.

Then he shoved me right over the edge of Sky High.

My mind exploded into wild terror as the world spiraled out of control. High winds roared in my ears, drowning out my screams. And the city of Maxville rushed dizzyingly and terrifyingly fast to meet me-

Suddenly, everything paused. It took me a moment to realize I wasn't alone. Or dead, for that matter.

Kylie's friend Jonah held me up as we rose higher into the air, back to the school grounds. He smiled at me, not a sneering mocking smile like the ones Kylie often cast my way, but a warm genuine grin. Shaken and confused, I could only gape at him.

When we landed, there were several sighs of relief, amidst a few cries of indignation.

"Everyone just _CALM DOWN_!" he thundered, and we all fell silent. "In case you geniuses didn't figure it out, that was a test."

"Have you lost your mind?!" I shouted as soon as I found my voice. "You know I can't fly!"

"No, but _he_ can," Coach Boomer jerked his thumb in Jonah's direction. "Nice work, Mackenzie," he added, scribbling something on his clipboard.

"What the hell-"

"Hey, watch your mouth Arrian. No need to be dramatic."

"Dramatic?" I repeated in sheer disbelief. "You- you threw me off the edge of the school!" I didn't keep my voice down, nor did I bother to try. "How on earth did you expect me to pass that test? I had no Hero gadgetry, no-" I cut myself off before I could say 'powers'. That wasn't entirely true.

"The test wasn't for _you_. It was for _them_ ," he snapped, gesturing to the space where the ground fell away to the open sky.

Turning around, I saw that there were three or four of my classmates still hovering in the air, all fliers. Debbie Bernstein, who was still on the ground had sent out a net of dark energy to break my fall- I watched as it crackled and slowly dissipated. With their help, there was no way I would have made it past the last layer of clouds, let alone to the city itself.

"All right- Weir, Foster, Lee, Bernstein, Harris- good Hero work. Now, who's next?" he called out, as I stared dumbfounded at the fliers who made their way back to the grounds. As my eyes swept over my classmates, I caught a glimpse of Warren. As expected, he wasn't looking at me. But I thought he looked somewhat pale.

I turned around to face Jonah. He looked back at me, still with that warm open smile on his face, which unnerved me completely. Wasn't he in with Kylie's crowd? What was he playing at?

I wasn't the only one who thought he'd lost it. Kylie gave him a confused petulant look, as if she was angry that he'd saved me from apparently certain death.

As the gym session wore on, the tasks seemed to get more and more outrageous, at least for me. Coach Boomer had Morgan Donovan, a boy with unnatural strength hurl vehicles at several of us, Warren and myself included.

Andrew Waterton who could manipulate the weather, caught and contained the truck headed his way in a powerful whirlwind; Warren blasted his away, reducing it to a charred metal shell; I simply dove out of the way.

When the exercise was over, Coach Boomer stormed up to me. "Arrian- what the heck was that?"

I stared at him resentfully. He knew about me where my powers were concerned. "Practical reaction, Coach."

"Practical reaction," he echoed sardonically. "For what, a sidekick?"

Most of the class laughed, but I didn't take my eyes away from him. "Sure. Whatever you want to call it."

A hush fell on the class at my sarcasm. Coach Boomer turned a deadly eye on me. "You're walking on thin ice, Arrian. I'd save the back talk and focus on getting your powers back online." The bell rang, signaling the end of the session. "That's all for today. See you tomorrow."

I stood there stunned as he walked away, unwilling to believe what he'd just said. Now everyone knew.

Painfully aware of my hands hanging uselessly at my sides, I heard a soft malicious laugh from behind.

xxxxx

By the end of lunch, it was all over the school: _Anna_ _Arrian couldn't use her powers_. I'd overheard the various reports by the resident gossips. One of the more popular rumors was that I'd lost them completely in a freak accident when I'd battled Paul, Lisa and Jana that fateful night. They were half right.

The last bell of the day rang out, and I nearly collapsed in relief. Wearily, I prodded my books into my bag, wanting more than anything to just curl up and disappear.

Looking up, I met Warren's dark eyes for a brief moment. He didn't look mad or upset, or pitying (thank goodness. I didn't know if I could handle that one). He was just…listless, uncaring. For some reason, that made things seem much worse.

Then it was over- he turned away, and went outside.

Sitting in the far back of the bus away from unwanted attention, I waited for us to get airborne. I rubbed my eyes repeatedly but it did no good. Giving up, I let them slide closed, listening to the low roar of the bus fusion jets powering up and the silent chastising of my own thoughts.

I wished I'd apologized to Warren. Because at the end of the day, the fact was he was the only friend I had. This stupid fight had gone on long enough. Come tomorrow, I'd make things right once and for all.

Someone sat down next to me, and I automatically turned to glare at the intruder.

Jonah Mackenzie was sitting there, watching me carefully. He wasn't smiling, but his dark brown eyes were so intensely serene, I couldn't help but squirm slightly. I immediately scanned the bus for Kylie to find out what the stupid game would be this time, before I remembered she was serving a week's detention.

I also remembered Jonah had saved my life a few hours earlier, so I fought the urge to tell him to get lost. Still, I reminded myself, any friend of Kylie's was worth being suspicious of.

I waited several seconds for him to say something but all he did was stare at me, which was kind of creepy. When it became clear that Jonah had no intention of initiating a conversation, I spoke up. "Um…is there something you wanted to say?"

He broke into an amused grin, his expression filled with such hilarity that I instantly became defensive; convinced I was the center of some elusive joke. Suddenly I didn't care about being polite. Here he was, picking up where Kylie left off. He probably only saved me so that he and Kylie could torment me further in the future, I thought bitterly.

"Did you seriously come all the way back here just to make me miserable? Because I really don't need this right now."

His smile faded, but he continued to stare at me in his infuriatingly calm way.

"What's the matter?" I challenged angrily. "At a loss for words?"

"Pretty much," a sarcastic voice ahead of me called out.

I looked over to where Nicole was sitting just a couple of rows away. She gave a heavy sigh before turning around to look at us.

"He can't speak," she explained impatiently, when she saw my confused stare. "He's mute."

For a moment, it seemed as if I had gone mute myself. Turning back to him, I finally stammered out, "Oh…s-sorry."

Jonah gave a good-natured half-shrug, then turned to Nicole who was still watching. He gestured eagerly for her to come join us.

But she shook her head firmly and turned back in her seat, but not before giving Jonah a look of extreme disapproval.

A brief shadow of disappointment crossed his face, before he glanced at me apologetically. He appeared to be thinking for a moment, then pulled out a notebook and pencil from his book bag.

"What are you doing?" I asked curiously, referring to both the notebook and the fact that he was sitting here.

He winked at me, then started to sketch something. After a moment I began to make out what it was- my father, dressed in his Hero attire, poised for action.

I looked up at him. "You know my dad?"

He nodded once. Turning the page, he began to sketch something else- a man, woman and a little boy in a burning house. The terror was plain on their faces. The fire was raging…I blinked. For a moment, I could almost see the flames move. Then my father, coming in to save the day…

And now there was no mistake- the picture did move. My dad burst into the house, emerging a short time later. He held the little boy in one arm, dragging the man out with the other. I didn't see the woman.

Jonah was still looking down at the page, and I could have sworn I saw his somber expression alight with the red glow of flames...

Then it vanished, the glow, the animated scene on the page. It was just a drawing of my father standing next to a house. An empty normal house.

Swallowing thickly, I gazed into Jonah's eyes. He looked so far away, his mouth partly open, dark eyes gazing vacantly. And I understood everything.

Tentatively, I put my hand on his shoulder. When I spoke, my voice was filled with quiet regret. "I'm sorry about your mom."

Jonah was pulled out of whatever bad reverie he was lost in. He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them and looked back at me, they were filled with something that could only be described as _gratefulness_.

xxxxxxx

The bus ride home seemed to go by in a blur. Jonah sat with me for the whole trip, and we conversed in a surprisingly effective manner. He, like Kylie, had a gift for illusion though his wasn't nearly as powerful, he tacitly explained to me.

As soon as Kylie was brought up I couldn't help myself. "Jonah, why does Kylie hate me so much?" I asked, convinced her resentment had to be more than just about Paul.

Jonah looked slightly worried at that. Then after a pause, he was sketching again, reluctantly. The answer unfolded before my eyes: Kylie had lost her twin sister as a result of Barron Battle's evil plots gone wrong years ago. When she'd learned of Paul's attempt on his life and how I'd stopped him, killing Paul in the process, I became worse than Barron Battle to her, more hated than the enemy.

"She doesn't understand," I told him. "I _had_ to. I couldn't just stand back and watch him-" I broke off. She couldn't understand, she wasn't in my place, she didn't have my reasons. And anyway, did it really matter what she thought? What anyone thought? It was over and done with. Nothing could ever change that.

Jonah gave a heavy, silent sigh. Everything about his body language suggested the utmost sympathy. And the last of my defensiveness ebbed away, despite my misgivings.

The bus dropped me off at my stop. As it slowly pulled away, I watched Jonah wave goodbye from the back window.

After a second's hesitation, I waved back.

He was a strange one, all right. Being associated with Kylie, I'd instantly written him off as cold, mean, someone to keep away from. But he was warm, pleasant, and generally likable- a shocking contrast to Kylie's nature.

My thoughts were halted as soon as I stepped through the door when I heard my father's voice echo down the hall.

"Annie! Annie, is that you?"

The worry and panic in his voice was evident, and I became alarmed. "Dad, I'm here- what's wrong?"

My father came into the hallway followed closely by my mother. "Oh thank God," she whispered, pulling me into a hug.

I didn't understand why they sounded so relieved. Something must have happened.

"What? What's going on?"

My father looked at me, anxiety in his eyes. "Annie...something's happened. The Lisa Kline girl…she's escaped. About an hour ago."


	6. Highs and Lows

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Six- Highs and Lows**

My father must have made about a hundred phone calls. Mom sat next to him on the couch, giving me anxious looks, probably expecting Lisa to burst into the room and murder me on the spot. It was unsettling to say the least.

From the way my dad was arguing into the receiver, it was clear that the authorities weren't telling him what he wanted to hear. I was able to figure out from his side of the conversation that they didn't know how Lisa managed to escape, or any clue of what her intentions might be. But there seemed to be a suspicion that I (and I suspected Warren as well) might be a possible target for her vengeful wrath.

"'Armed and dangerous', that's all they'll tell the public," my father muttered as he slammed the phone down.

"I'm sure they don't want to start a panic," my mother reasoned.

"People need to be aware of what they're dealing with," he pointed out. "If some regular civilian spots her, all they're going to see is a harmless looking little girl. They're going to try to take her in, try to be a hero." He ran his hand over face. "They won't stand a chance."

I got up and went over to him. Resting my hands on his shoulders, I told him, "It's going to be all right. They're going to find her."

He gave me a strained smile. "I know they are, honey." That said, he pulled me into a hug that I suspected was more for his benefit than mine.

When I got into bed that night, my parents came into the room. Mom stood by the door as my dad glanced anxiously out of the window before closing the blinds.

I suddenly felt as if I were a little kid. I stared at them disapprovingly until they both glanced away, looking rather guilty.

"Guys, seriously-"

"Well you can't fault us for being a _little_ worried," Mom said.

"I don't," I told them sincerely. "It's just that…I don't want you to run yourself sick over this. Please, just get some sleep, ok?"

My mom and dad gave each other one of those 'parent' looks. Then reluctantly, they left.

Before my mother closed the door she gazed me, an almost desperate affection in her eyes. "Just get some sleep Anna. It'll be all right. We're here for you if you need us."

My eyes didn't leave her face. Hers was an expression I came to realize would never leave- an innate terror forced down into something that resembled alert composure.

"I know you are," I murmured.

When she closed the door I waited for some moments, making sure they were gone. Then finally I broke down, sobbing quietly. I couldn't bear to let them see me fall apart like this, to know how scared I really was. It would only make things worse.

It was happening again- my universe was being thrown in total chaos. Lisa Kline was out there somewhere- unstable, unpredictable, dangerous. And here I was- uncertain, terrified, powerless.

As I began to drift to sleep, a scraping sound against the window snapped me back to alertness. I sat up quickly, listening. There it was again- a slow deliberate scraping noise, like a stone being dragged across glass…

Looking on in horrified disbelief, the blinds were moved aside by an invisible force. And framed in the window was Lisa, her eyes were raging, manic. I was so terrified, unable to move or scream out.

Or breathe. I couldn't breathe-

Awaking with a start, I shot a frightened look toward my window. No open blinds. No Lisa. I was safe.

I struggled to bring my breathing under control and calmed down. There was no way I was getting any sleep tonight.

As I lay there in the dark, my eyes got adjusted to the shadows. As my gaze swept over the various objects in my room, exhaustion and my imagination turned them into sinister things- a deformed bat near the closet door; a gaping creature beneath the work table; a shadow, larger than the rest, silhouetted against the window blinds…

I shot up out of bed. The scream that welled up inside me choked in my throat and died. The shadow was gone.

Cautiously, I went to the window. In one quick motion I swiped them aside. There was nothing to see except a dark empty street.

I sank to the ground, trying to catch my breath. _There's nothing out there,_ I told myself. _Your eyes are playing tricks on you. Don't freak out._ But my words were no comfort to me.

xxxx

I must have passed out at some point, because I opened my eyes to the dim morning light. Downstairs, I found Mom and Dad sitting at the table. It was clear they hadn't gone to bed at all. I contemplated telling them about what I'd seen by the window the night before, but all the subsequent panic over something I was now certain I'd imagined wasn't worth it. I decided to keep my mouth shut.

"Where do you think you're going?" my dad asked in wary confusion, as he saw me dressed and reaching for my bag.

"To school," I said, just as confused.

"No, you're not," he said as he stood up. "You're staying here until Lisa Kline is found."

I gaped at him. "You can't be serious. That could take days, weeks!"

"I'm sorry Annie, but it's not safe. I don't want to take any chances. You can understand that, can't you?"

"No Dad, I can't," I told him, getting upset."How can you say that after everything I've done, everything I've been training for-"

"You are too vulnerable right now!" He exhaled hopelessly, not meeting my eyes. "If that Kline girl comes to you…you won't be able to defend yourself. Annie…right now, you are helpless."

Silence. I stared at him, feeling more betrayed than I ever had. I thought he had faith in me. He used to, long ago.

"I'm going to school," I said quietly, stubbornly. "Then I'm going to do my shift at work. _Then_ I'm coming home."

"Annie, just listen-"

"Go to school Anna. Just be careful." My mom said. She was staring at the ground, not looking at either of us. Her face was grave, resigned.

My father looked at her, shocked. But that was all I needed: I was out the door and down the walkway before he could say another word.

Walking to the bus stop on my own felt stranger than it ever had since Paul died. My surroundings seemed to change before my very eyes- the morning sunlight filtered weakly through the clouds, giving everything an almost treacherous glow; every bush and tree concealed some kind of horrible danger. My eyes darted back and forth warily. I felt like I was going crazy.

Bad news travel fast, but nowhere faster than in the Hero community. It was like the first day back at school all over again. Once on the bus, the stares followed me. I was in too much of a state to care however, until someone touched my arm and my head snapped up, startled.

Jonah gazed anxiously at me. Next to him, Kylie was staring out the window, decidedly ignoring us both. I was more than happy to do the same.

Turning to Jonah, I gave him a small reassuring smile, my way of letting him know that I was all right. It was a big lie of course, and Jonah didn't seem to be buying it- but his expression relaxed, and he smiled back.

As soon as the bus landed I made a beeline to Hero History class, hoping that Warren was already there.

He wasn't. It was just me and an empty classroom. Sighing, I took my seat near the front and buried my face in my hands. The nightmare I'd had replayed itself in my mind. So far I'd been doing a good job keeping it together for my parents' sake. But I didn't know how long I could keep it up. I was tired of being brave, but too scared to let my panic overwhelm me. I felt trapped within my own miserable circumstance.

Where was Lisa? How did she escape? What would she do to me if she found me?

A noise at the front of the room made me jump. Warren appeared in the doorway. He glanced at me for the briefest of moments, then took his seat in the far back.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. Then I got up and walked over to him. He was staring intently at a text book, ignoring me as hard as he knew how.

Where to begin? After almost a week, what could I say that would make things right? In the end, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind:

"I've been a really stupid jerk."

Warren didn't look up, or acknowledge my presence. He turned the page of his book, and drummed his fingers against the table for awhile.

"You're telling me," he answered quietly.

Relieved, I added for good measure, "I was totally ungrateful."

"That's an understatement."

"-couldn't have been more wrong-"

"Trust me, I know."

"I'm sorry Warren. I really am."

Finally Warren raised his head. I waited tentatively as an expression of sheer indifference relaxed his features. "Well, it took you long enough," he said at length.

I smiled at him sheepishly.

xxxxxxxx

The buzzer blared out in gym class, signaling the end of yet another 'Save the Citizen' session. Kylie Jordan and Jonah Mackenzie were up, winning two games in a row. As much as Kylie annoyed me, I had to admit that she and Jonah made a pretty good team. They always played the Heroes- Jonah taking to the air and saving the citizen in a matter of moments, while Kylie incapacitated the 'villains' by... well, I wasn't sure what she did. She always seemed to just be standing there, while her opponents lay writhing on the ground. Sometimes they screamed. Warren had said she was an illusionist, that she got into people's heads and made them see and hear things. As I watched a sobbing Debbie Bernstein being half carried away by a couple of her friends, I couldn't help but feel relieved that I didn't know the specifics of Kylie's ability.

Every so often, I'd look over to where Warren was sitting. Reconciling with him made dealing with Lisa's escape a lot easier. I hadn't realized how much our fight had bothered me until we were okay again.

I remembered talking to Warren about Lisa's escape at lunch earlier, filling him in on what few details I knew- that it had happened sometime around mid-afternoon the day before, and she was the only one who'd managed to get out. Warren had heard about the escape almost as soon as it had happened, but he didn't seem to know much more about it than I did.

"Do you think…she might come after us?"

Warren looked into my eyes steadily for a few seconds. Then he lowered his gaze. "I think we should be careful," he murmured thoughtfully. "And be prepared. For anything."

I thought about these words as I watched him survey the brutal events that were a typical gym class at Sky High. I noticed that he didn't take his eyes off of Kylie for a second, looking at her with a weird expression as she gazed down smugly at her victims. I wondered for a moment what it was about. But only for a moment.

"All right Jordan, what're you going to be?" Coach Boomer asked.

"Heroes, like always," Kylie declared.

"Fine," Boomer muttered, pulling out his clipboard. "Pick your villains."

Her eyes scanned the benches swiftly. Then her eyes met mine, and she grinned in a way that made me suddenly very alert.

"I choose Anna Arrian."

Everyone went quiet as they turned to look at me. Stunned, I could only stare at her, my mouth hanging open like an idiot.

"Great," Coach Boomer said. "Who else?"

"What? Wait a minute- no!" I interjected forcefully. I couldn't play Save the Citizen. I wasn't ready- especially not today!

Boomer fixed me with his best 'don't screw with me' look. "Arrian, you've had your suspension period. Time's up. Get in there."

"But I-"

" _NOW_!" he roared.

Shakily, I stood up and made my way into the arena. The look on Kylie's face was as plain as day- she wanted to destroy me.

"Who's your next pick?" Coach Boomer was saying.

"We'll choose-"

Jonah suddenly grabbed Kylie's arm, while indicating to Coach Boomer that he give them a minute. He pulled Kylie aside and immediately began signing to her, his movements firm and decided.

I didn't know what he told her, but she didn't seem to like it at all. Eyes flashing, she began signing back.

"Hey! We don't have all day you two!" Coach Boomer called out irritably.

Jonah hardly glanced at him, so intent he was on Kylie. His hands were positively flying now- darting in short jabbing motions- he was getting upset.

"JORDAN, MACKENZIE!" Coach Boomer shouted, finally losing his patience.

"Okay, okay!" Kylie snapped letting her hands fall. "We choose," she closed her eyes momentarily, "Warren Peace."

I gazed at her, shocked. She'd just chosen the one person that might make this a fair fight. I wasn't the only one who was surprised. Joining me, Warren narrowed his eyes at her incredulously.

Then I realized what Jonah had been telling her, and what he'd asked her to do. Looking at him sincerely, I mouthed the words, "Thank you".

He grinned at me, throwing me one of his characteristic winks.

Boomer was going over the rules for what seemed like the hundredth millionth time, but I barely heard him. Every limb in my body was seizing up, refusing to move, which scared me even more. _I'll get through this_ , I thought hazily to myself. _I'll be fine._

_Who am I kidding? She's going to kick my ass from here to next week._

Warren came to my side, scrutinizing my face. "Don't get sick on me, whatever you do."

"Oh shut up," I retorted weakly.

Leaning down slightly, he whispered, "Just don't think about it. We can win this. I'll deal with Mackenzie- he'll be the one after the citizen. You can handle Jordan –but don't forget what she's capable of. And _don't_ let her use her powers against you. Knock her out if you have to."

Swallowing, I nodded silently. It had been ages since I played Save the Citizen. I used to be really good at it. Now I felt completely out of my depth. This was the last thing I needed right now-

Boomer yelled out something and I realized the game had begun. Suddenly it was like a switch had flipped- I could move again. I instantly went into defense mode, my body getting into the game before my mind did.

Jonah took to the air, darting straight for the stuffed figure that represented the citizen. Warren wasn't having any of that however. He chucked two fireballs in his direction, nothing big enough to pose a serious threat, but enough to force Jonah to swerve off-course.

I turned to look at Kylie who seemed to forget I was there. Without the use of my powers, apparently I wasn't viewed as a serious threat to her. She narrowed her eyes at Warren, as he continued to thwart Jonah's attempts to retrieve the citizen, and made her way towards him.

Remembering Debbie Bernstein, I did the first thing I could think of- I made a running leap and tackled her to the ground, ready and all too willing to punch her lights out.

Then I felt a sudden unpleasant pressure on my mind and realized that something was very, very wrong.

A horrible scaly creature writhed in my arms- green, dark-eyed, and snarling wetly. Crying out in revulsion and horror, I scrambled away from the monster. It didn't pursue me, but began making its way towards Warren. It was then I realized what had happened. It was a trick, an illusion. I'd let Kylie get away.

Scrambling to my feet, I went for her again. And again, it happened- my mind felt an odd heaviness, and a dark chasm opened up between us. I blinked furiously, trying to will it away but the chasm remained, dark and terrifyingly wide. Telling myself repeatedly that it wasn't real didn't help, as my every sense screamed otherwise. Concentrating, I could feel it now... it was like Kylie was forcing my mind to accept the illusion completely. And she was doing a pretty good job of it.

I went to the edge and peered down into its black, bottomless depths. It was insane- I could actually _feel_ the cold damp air that rose from it. But there was no time for this irrational fear. Steeling myself, I ran into it with my eyes closed, expecting to fall to my death at any moment.

But as soon as I took the plunge, the chasm vanished and I fell to my knees onto the blessed floor boards. I nearly passed out from the sheer relief of it all.

By this time Kylie had already taken Warren. He was staggering, struggling to stay on his feet; eyes shut tight, pitching fireballs blindly. His face was screwed up in an expression of borderline agony.

" _Get out of my head!_ " he yelled, his voice almost frantic.

Ignoring him, Kylie shouted, "Jonah- get it already!"

But despite the mental assault, Warren was impressively holding his own. He managed to pitch a fireball that came dangerously close to scorching Jonah's side. Surprised at the near miss, Jonah lost control, nearly crashing into the grinder that the 'citizen' was slowly being lowered into.

Not wasting another moment, I jumped to my feet and again made to incapacitate Kylie. But she saw me out of the corner of her eye, and at once ear-splitting shriek exploded in my ears, and impossibly bright lights burst into existence before my eyes, nearly blinding me. I knew in actuality that there were no screams and no lights, but Kylie's hold on my mental perception _made_ it real. And I was suffering because of it.

I gave an anguished groan, but did not break stride. Ramming into Kylie once more, I knocked her to the ground. The lights vanished, but the screams continued to wreak havoc against my eardrums. This time I was ready. When snakes appeared out of nowhere and began coiling around my arms I did not cease my struggles, even as their cold scaly skin slithered against mine. To make matters worse, the screams in my head intensified several-fold.

"I'm going break your mind," she forced out through clenched teeth.

"Not if I break your nose first!" I shouted over the unbearable screams. I swung downward as hard as I could. But I aimed too high, and caught her in the eye, hearing the satisfying _whump_ as the blow made impact. It got the job done though- she blacked out. Immediately, the snakes disappeared, and the screams stopped. My mind was my own again.

Then I felt a gust of wind and heard a loud thud, just as the buzzer sounded. I looked up to see Jonah on the ground, hastily beating out flames from the hem of his shirt. Next to him lay the 'citizen', a little scorched, but otherwise ok.

The cheers that subsequently swelled around us brought home the realization- we had lost.

xxxxxx

"I messed up, I completely choked out there-"

Warren was sitting beside me, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. His face was flushed, and his breathing was raw and uneven- in short, he looked like crap. Whatever Kylie had done to him, it must have been pretty bad. "For the last time Arrian, it wasn't your fault," he muttered wearily.

"Wasn't it?" I asked bitterly, refusing to let the subject drop. "You were holding up your end of the plan, all I had to do was-"

"Trust me, you lasted a lot longer than most of these guys. I mean you took her out, didn't you?"

"Too late," I added glumly.

"Yeah well, it was impressive, considering…" he trailed off. But I knew what he meant. And it did make me feel a little better.

I glanced at Warren concernedly as he bent over to rest his head in his arms.

"Are you all right? I could take you to Nurse Spex," I offered.

"I'm fine," he groaned irritably.

I gave him a contemplative look. "Just don't get sick on me, whatever you do."

There was a short silence. Then "Shut up Arrian," came his muffled reply.

The smile in his voice was unmistakable, and my mood lightened just a little. But such moments never last long for me.


	7. Rising Above

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Seven- Rising Above**

When classes were over, Principal Powers caught up with Warren and me in the hallway, saying that she wanted to speak with us in private. Once inside her office (which was becoming more familiar to me than I would have liked), Powers explained that she and the staff were aware of the Lisa Kline situation, and that every precaution was being made to ensure our safety at school.

Nodding shakily, I glanced at Warren whose face was perfectly expressionless as the principal continued to reassure us. He looked so unnervingly indifferent about the whole thing. How could he not feel even a little bit worried? I thought. I longed to know what his secret was. Then I could feel like I had some semblance of control over what was happening to me.

Jonah and Kylie were sitting near the front of the bus when I got on. I noticed not without satisfaction that she was now sporting a serious black eye. Jonah was showing her something from a magazine and Kylie was smiling at the pages. It surprised me; I'd never seen her give a genuine smile before. It made her look pretty, even with the black eye.

They looked so caught up in one another, so blissfully unaware of the world around them. Jonah signed something to her with a mischievous look in his eyes and she laughed. Seeing the two of them like that brought a spark of reminiscence that answered the question I'd asked myself ever since the day Jonah had saved me.

I remembered the bond that Paul and I had shared, a bond that had gone beyond family ties. Before his descent into darkness there were so many wonderful qualities to him, aspects of his nature that never failed to make me feel encouraged, warm and loved. Warren of course never saw that side of him. He couldn't imagine that it had possibly existed in Paul.

Maybe that's what Jonah saw in Kylie; the good and heartening things I wasn't ever allowed to see. I couldn't judge him for befriending her when I'd had a Kylie of my own.

Suddenly I was tired. Tired of the stupid ongoing fight between Kylie and myself, tired of wanting to make her pay for everything she'd put me through. I would never like her, and I'd certainly never want to be her friend. But it didn't mean I had to waste my energy hating her either.

As I passed by they both looked up. Jonah grinned warmly- Kylie's smile vanished, replaced by a smug sneer. It was obvious she was still reveling over my defeat earlier today.

"Hi Jonah," I greeted softly. He took my hand and squeezed it in a friendly gesture. I smiled and squeezed back.

Kylie chose that moment to lean over and say, "Sorry about today, Anna. Forgot you were…well, powerless." She shrugged with an expression of mock concern. I pretended not to notice.

"It's okay Kylie. Sorry about your eye. Some ice on it will help."

My tone was nonthreatening and devoid of sarcasm, but Kylie's eyes flashed with anger nonetheless. Jonah put a hand on her shoulder and gave her an admonishing glance. Again, I felt a flash of familiarity- how many times had I given that look to Paul when he'd gotten out of line?

But I decided to move on before things got worse. "See you around," I muttered to Jonah, before going to take my seat.

xxxxxxxx

Maxville's Value Mart was slow that evening so my scheduled two and a half hours were interminable. In the daylight I could easily put my anxiety aside, being preoccupied with school and other things. But as evening lengthened the shadows and turned the air cold, my old fears returned. Lisa was out there somewhere. Would she really try to _kill_ me? She'd lost everything; her mother, her home, her future as a Hero. All she had to hold onto was her vengeance, and Warren and I had taken that away from her. My god, I'd even killed her boyfriend.

I couldn't see why she _wouldn't_ try to end me.

Finally it was time to clock out. I grabbed my schoolbag from the staff room and left through the employee exit at the side of the building.

The temperature had dropped steeply- autumn was getting underway. I zipped up my jacket, suppressing the violent shiver that threatened to wrack through my body, and picked up my pace for the bus stop.

A loud crash pierced the silence. Already shaken I whirled around, peering anxiously into the dimly lit alleyway. I didn't see anything but that only made me more suspiciously alert. _Something_ made that noise.

There was another sound, the sound of glass shattering against the wall. I started, then took a step back, my eyes wide and searching. I almost said something stupid like, 'Is somebody out there?', or 'Show yourself!' But I caught myself just in time and decided to choose the safer option. Breathing rapidly, I turned to make a break for it.

And suddenly ran smack into a tall, menacing figure.

I screamed.

"Calm down Arrian- it's just me!" Warren snapped urgently. My reaction had clearly caught him off guard.

I clamped my hand over my mouth in scorching embarrassment. My heart thudded wildly, pounding in my ears. I couldn't believe it.

"Warren?!" I sputtered angrily. "What are you doing here?"

There were a few seconds of silence. I folded my arms indignantly. "You were waiting for me weren't you?"

Warren rolled his eyes, glancing away. "Arrian, it's not exactly safe out here."

" _Warren-_ "

"Look, do you want a ride or not?"

I blinked at him. "What?"

"My car's across the street. I can drive you home. Or you can, you know, take the _bus_." I narrowed my eyes at him. He said 'bus' as if it were a dirty word.

Trying to retain what dignity I had left, I drew myself to my full height, about to tell him I was old enough to get home on my own, thanks very much. It didn't work though, considering Warren towered over me by at least half a foot and I'd just screamed like a two year-old in front of him. He simply waited for my answer, raising his eyebrows and very pointedly NOT laughing at me, the jerk.

Before taking another step however, I glanced back into the alleyway. Still nothing.

"What's the matter?"

"I thought there was something…." I trailed off. I didn't feel like mentioning what I'd heard now, not after my crazy display of shot nerves. "Nothing, never mind. Let's just go."

xxxxxx

Things were quiet for a while as Warren drove. The visual rhythm of the streetlights zooming past, the steady rumbling of the engine, and the warmth of the car…. it all lulled me into a half dozing state in which my mind slowly began to blend dreams with the waking world.

Orange and yellows lights flashed overhead in an endless whirl of blurring color. Farther ahead, the shadows of the city of Maxville made themselves known- lurking on the edge of where the artificial light couldn't reach. Side alleyways and tree-encumbered streets held the darkness like a tangible thing, a thing that spilled over the sidewalks and crept up windows....

_Lisa's watching…_

My eyes fluttered, disturbed by the unwelcome thought. I squirmed restlessly in the seat, fighting against the nightmare that threatened to unfold in my mind's eye.

Through my haze I heard Warren's voice say, "So what's up with you and Jonah?"

I didn't know if it was his way of distracting me from my evident uneasiness. But I appreciated it nonetheless. "What do you mean?" I murmured sleepily.

"Suddenly you guys are acting like you're best friends or something?"

His obvious distaste roused me somewhat. "He's cool, Warren."

"Hey, I've got nothing against the guy. He seems okay, I guess. Just… remember who he hangs out with."

"Fine," I exhaled softly, my eyes closed. I was too tired to argue. It hardly mattered. It wasn't like Jonah and I were exactly spending all of our free time together anyway.

Seconds later it seemed, I was being nudged awake.

"Arrian. We're here."

Grudgingly I opened one eye, and then promptly closed it. "No, we're not. Take me home."

"You _are_ home. We're just down the street."

"Why?" I grumbled.

There was a pause. "You rather I drive up in front of your house?"

The thought of my father peeking through the front window to see me coming out of a strange black car made me wake up remarkably quickly. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes and groaning, I grabbed my book bag and got out. I closed the door saying, "Thanks for the lift."

"Don't mention it. See you."

I walked quickly down the sidewalk. When I got to my front door, I looked up to see that Warren hadn't moved from where he'd put the car in idle. I waved to him, indicating that I was all right. He nodded before easing the car from the curb and driving away.

Dad was watching the news. At least, he was pretending to. The reality was that he was waiting up for me. His eyes remained fixed on the screen when I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch next to him.

There was a piece on Lisa Kline:

… _the authorities have requested that she not be approached under any circumstances. If seen, please call the number at the bottom of your screen-_

The TV screen went dark and I glanced at my father as he put the remote down. He suddenly looked far older than his forty-three years, and that on top of everything else was almost too much to bear.

"Dad," I began.

"I want you to understand something Annie," he broke in. "As long as I'm here, I'm going to do everything in my power to protect you, no matter what."

I felt the beginnings of a retort form in my mind but I pressed my lips together. Now was not the time. I let him continue.

"But," he added, and his shoulders sagged a little, "I think that sometimes I take things too far. You were right to go to school today. The fact is… I was afraid. And I tried to make you afraid too so that you'd stay home. But I guess you've inherited too much of my stubbornness, huh?" He chuckled softly, then grew serious. "I'm sorry, kid."

I rubbed the back of my neck thoughtfully, trying to take in what he said. My dad had never admitted to being scared of anything in his life. It made me feel strange, like suddenly _I_ wanted to protect _him_. But I didn't answer. I simply picked up the remote.

"Let's watch the game," I suggested.

xxxxxxx

Breakfast was a slow and painful affair, mainly because Mom had gotten up early to fix us something extensive. It was one of her defense mechanisms- she'd cook when things got bad.

And this morning was no exception. As I moved bits of blueberry waffle that she'd made completely from scratch around my plate, she and my father kept throwing looks in my direction. I couldn't tell what they were thinking- everything about their demeanor was guarded and deceivingly calm. I wished they'd stop staring. I'd gotten enough of that on the bus.

After I'd asked for the second time if there was anything wrong, they decided to start up a conversation about what was going on in my life. How I was doing at work and school, what classes I liked, what subjects were giving me trouble, were my co-workers at the supermarket easy to get along with?

I dutifully answered their questions, carefully peeling some grapes just to give my hands something to do. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I was shocked to see I still had at least fifteen minutes before I could leave for the bus. How was that possible? We must have been at this table for at least an hour already!

"I called Ms. Powers a few days ago and she told me you were doing really well," my father commented and I cringed slightly, before silently thanking her for not telling him about the almost-fight.

"Well, of course she is," Mom said, before adding another waffle to my plate (I still hadn't finished the first two she gave me). "It's really good to see you getting back into the swing of things. Holding down your job, and making friends-"

"Oh yeah," my father chimed in. "I'd like to meet some of these friends. Maybe they can come over for a visit sometime."

I froze in the middle of peeling another grape and stared at him for a long while, not knowing what to say. Sure, I'd called Warren a few times to go over class work, and a couple of those times my dad had caught me doing it. After a moment, I finally muttered, "Well, you know...they're busy. And I've been busy too, with work and stuff." Which was kind of true. Suddenly I became very interested in eating.

"Oh that's too bad," my father commented, reaching for his coffee. "What are their names anyway? Bet I know a few of their parents."

I didn't answer. My stomach began twisting itself into knots and I'd lost my appetite completely, even as I was stuffing my face. I hated lying to my parents, but I certainly couldn't tell them the truth. They wouldn't stand for it at all, and there was no telling the amount of trouble I'd be in.

"Annie?" he dad asked, gazing at me curiously.

"Uh, sweetheart? I think you should get a move on. Don't want to be late for the bus," my mother said suddenly. She could tell that there was something wrong, that I didn't want to talk about it. And as always, she didn't press the matter and that included not letting my father do it either.

"Oh….right," I said jumping up and snatching my book bag from the corner.

My father glanced at the two of us with a fleeting look of vague curiosity but said, "Okay, Annie. You have a good day. And be safe."

"I will, Dad. Love you!" I said, kissing both of them on the cheek before running out of the house.

xxxxxxx

Jonah was waving at me from his lunch table. I smiled and waved back. Next to him Kylie was whispering something to Nicole, pausing every so often to give me dirty looks. Her bruised eye was now a dark bluish purple, which I couldn't help but feel a little proud of.

When he beckoned me to join them however, my smile faded and I apologetically shook my head. No way was I going to subject myself to that nightmare. I turned and went to my usual table, trying to ignore his disappointed expression.

I knew he meant well but Jonah tended to be a little misguided sometimes. Kylie hated me on principle and he hardly seemed to care. That last part I _did_ appreciate but I didn't think it was possible to truly be friends with Jonah, not when he was so attached to the intolerable Kylie. And as reluctant as I was to admit it, it made me feel kind of disappointed. I really liked him.

When I stole a look at Jonah's table, I saw him watching me. He immediately glanced away flushed with embarrassment and began eating his salad, shoving lettuce and bits of tomato into his mouth. For some reason that made me smile.

As I turned back I caught a glimpse of Warren a few tables away. He was absently chewing at a sandwich as he stared intently at what looked like one of our textbooks. I knew Warren liked to read but he didn't exactly strike me as the overly-studious type, especially not at lunch.

When I was making my way back to class, Warren appeared beside me. "Hope you're ready for Medulla's quiz today."

"There's a quiz?" I whispered in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He announced it in class. And I reminded you yesterday. Don't you ever listen?"

I wanted to snap back that there were a lot of things on my mind at the moment but decided not to at the last minute. I ground my teeth in distress, wondering how I was going to handle this. Not well most likely, I mused, stepping into the classroom.

I really hated Mr. Medulla's quizzes, I thought irritably. I was totally convinced they were all made up of trick questions.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Warren commented, joining me by my desk when class was over.

I stopped in the middle of putting some stationery in my bag to give him a withering look.

He looked away, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry."

"Forget it," I mumbled. "So are you working today?" I added, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, the late shift again," he replied, making a face. "You?"

"Nope, just going to go home and chill out."

"Huh," was all he said.

"Well… see you tomorrow."

"Uh, yeah. Oh, Arrian?"

"Yes?"

He paused uncomfortably. "Watch out for yourself, all right?"

Warren had told me this several times before. But something in his voice made this time different.

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Be careful."

Another question nearly pushed itself from my lips, but I held it back. "Okay. Sure."

xxxxxxxx

Jonah caught up with me as I made my way down the front steps of the school. Seeing him, I immediately looked around for Kylie and Nicole but there was no sign of them.

Somewhat relieved, I turned back to him. "Hey Jonah. What's up?"

With a rather conspiratorial grin, he linked his arm in mine and tugged gently. Clearly he wanted me to go somewhere with him.

I knew that our bus would be leaving in a little while and wondered what was so important. In the end though I decided to humor him, and allowed him to lead me away.

We didn't go very far. Rounding the corner of the building, we came to the edge of the grounds where we'd had our special gym session. But there was no one here this time around and I suddenly felt uneasy.

"Uh…what's going on?"

Jonah walked towards the very edge, gazing thoughtfully into the ether. For a while he didn't seem to have heard me. Finally he turned around and reached for my hand again. And without any further prompting I understood. He wanted me to step off the edge. To fly with him.

I hesitated. It was asking a lot, to give up the certainty of solid ground and embrace a vast bright blue and terrifying _nothing_ with a shy acquaintance as my only tether to life.

A life that Jonah had saved. And for me, that was enough.

I took his hand. It might have been a case of sheer insanity, especially after what Warren had told me. But I paid no attention to that. Jonah wanted me to trust him.

Joining him at the edge of it all, I gazed down numbly at the swirls of white below that hid us from the rest of the world. It was such a long way down.

Jonah hooked my right arm over his right shoulder and did the same with my left, propping me against his back. And with a last reassuring grin he took the final step over the edge, taking me along with him.

We were in total free-fall. The wind deafened me; the heavy clouds took their time to dissipate. The city itself then came into view. I clung even more tightly to Jonah, my arms wrapped around his neck in a vice-like grip. How long were we going to fall like this? What if…oh god…what if I'd made a mistake? What if he never powered up? What if he'd completely lost it and decided to end it all, taking me along with him?

As the countless rooftops became more discernible, it took all of my will power not to go into screaming hysterics. I drew in a panicked breath, ready to let out that impassioned yet hopeless shriek normally associated with imminent death.

But before I could even open my mouth we began to rise, still very high up. Jonah soared gracefully above… _everything_. And little by little I began to calm down. I was okay. We were okay. Jonah had been in complete control all along.

Buildings rushed below us, tiny ants of people moved about through the streets. Ahead, a small flock of birds changed their course to avoid the strange air borne beings, and the gathering clouds fell away like tremendous ghosts as we coursed through them, beyond them.

And that was when it hit me- this was _wonderful_. It was nothing like the school bus; no claustrophobic barriers of metal and glass. There was only cold invigorating sunlight, and vast open sky, and Jonah- warm, reliable and there. I laughed with a happiness I hadn't felt in months. Against my arms, I felt Jonah silently doing the same.

We flew for what seemed like only a few minutes, but we must have been in the air for at least half an hour. Finally I told him where to take me and ten minutes later we landed in my backyard.

"Wow. That was…great," I said, a little breathless. My face was numb with cold, and my nose was running, which was more than a little embarrassing. Chuckling awkwardly, I turned away to wipe it on my sleeve, but before I could Jonah offered me a tissue. Apparently he came prepared.

"Thanks," I mumbled, taking it. When I was presentable again, I turned back to him. It was quiet for a few moments, before I realized that any form of spoken conversation was left up to me.

"Well," I said, suddenly feeling as shy as Jonah looked, "Thanks again. I had a lot of fun."

Jonah grinned as if I'd paid him a compliment.

"I… guess I should go. See you in school."

He nodded once, smiling before taking my arm and squeezing it gently for a moment. Then he took to the air with a goodbye wave.

xxxxxx

That evening my parents and I went to see a movie. I couldn't remember the name of it, only that it was some kind of action flick. I gazed blankly at the screen which flashed sequences of gun battles, speedy car chases, and pretty women who wore clothes that were too tight for them.

I guessed they figured I'd like this kind of movie since I used to see them with Paul all the time. But the truth was I only went to such films because my cousin had liked them so much. Sitting in a sticky seat with gunshot effects ringing in my ears now proved pointless and depressing.

Glancing sideways to where my parents were sitting, I saw that Mom had fallen asleep. That was no surprise- she always drifted off at movies. Dad was pulling long noisy sips of Coke from his mega-sized cup, his eyes glued to the screen. He was clearly enjoying the movie so I decided not to be a spoilsport and tell him I wanted to leave. When he finally spared a grinning look in my direction, I returned as genuine a smile as I could give. I was so bored it actually hurt.

Finally the movie ended and the credits began to roll. We went straight home after that, Dad talking nonstop about how good the film was. My mother smiled patiently as he went into the finer points of the film. I stayed quiet in the backseat and pretended to be asleep.

At home I raced up to my room, eager for bed. Today had been a long one, but it was still far better than most days. I smiled, remembering my flight with Jonah as I hung up my jacket on the door. Maybe I was wrong to write him off so quickly. Maybe I could be friends with him after all.

I switched on the light, walking past my desk to get to my wardrobe. And stopped midway, and stared.

One of the desk drawers was half-open. I was sure that it wasn't like that when I'd left. Well, almost sure. I made to close it, paused, and then opened it fully.

Nothing inside was how I'd put it. The contents were all there, but the arrangement was all wrong, hastily neatened as if someone had wanted to leave no trace of themselves behind. I bent down, opening each and every drawer. They were all altered.

Standing up I surveyed the room warily, examining each and every inch. My wardrobe remained untouched, as did my closet. When I looked under my bed I saw that some things had been shuffled around, but there was so much stuff under there I couldn't tell if anything was missing. When I went to the window, I was beyond any kind of doubt now. The blinds were down and the window was closed. But it was unlocked. I had definitely locked the window; I remembered doing it.

Slowly, I backed out of the room. Then running down the hall, I called for my parents. Someone had been in here.


	8. I Wish You Were Here

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Eight- "I Wish You Were Here."**

A pile of books were accidentally pushed off my desk and crashed noisily to the floor. One of the policemen glanced up with a sheepish look.

"Sorry," he muttered, then bent down to pick them up.

My father sighed. "He's new," he said softly so that only I could hear.

I was standing next to my dad by the doorway. My mother was so upset over the fact that someone had broken into my room that Dad had convinced her to go to bed and let him handle it. I of course had no objection to that.

Now it was a little after midnight and the two of us watched quietly as several police and CSIs took pictures and examined every inch of my rather small room. They dusted for prints, took photos and asked me questions concerning the items that had been arranged, suspicious people hanging around my neighborhood and pretty much anything else they could think of.

They had been skeptical of my story at first since there were no signs of forced entry, nothing seemed to be taken or damaged, and there were no witnesses. I suspected if it weren't for the fact that they respected my father so much they'd have dismissed me completely.

Detective Perpetua Marr came to us then. She was a short middle aged woman with graying black hair and squinty blue eyes. She'd worked with my dad back when he was still active and was also the one who had introduced him to my mother, an incident that cemented their lifelong friendship. For as long as I could remember, Perpetua Marr had been an irregular but consistent part of my life.

"You all right Anna?" she asked me, with a piercing stare that would make a saint squirm.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said vaguely.

With that said, she turned and gave my father a look that we both recognized all too well.

"Ah… Annie, why don't you go and get some sleep? Just scoot your mother over- you know how she likes to take up more than her fair share."

I frowned indignantly at them both. "What am I, seven?" Turning to Perpetua, I added, "If you have something to say, I think I'm old enough to hear it."

Perpetua at least had the decency to look embarrassed. When she got a tacit go-ahead from my father, she began, "Well, we're nearly done collecting evidence. And mind you, there wasn't much to go with. You say that nothing was taken…."

She trailed off and my father and I waited for her to continue.

"In any case, I'm not prepared to speculate, not right now. But I have to say… I'm pretty sure that this wasn't random. Based on what you told us, someone came here with a purpose in mind."

Things went quiet, except for the static of walkie-talkies and general shuffling in the background. Finally I managed, "You think it might have been Lisa."

My dad immediately jumped on that. "Annie, she never said that."

"But it's a big possibility," I pressed.

Perpetua opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to change her mind. Instead she exhaled hollowly and said, "It is a possibility, yes."

For a while none of us knew what else to say. Then my dad cleared his throat. "All right Annie. Time to sleep. Go on."

I didn't want to leave, even though I knew I wouldn't be of any further use. But the look on my father's face was unyielding. It was better to just go. So I did.

xxxxxxxxxx

As soon as I walked into my parents' bedroom I could tell that my mother wasn't asleep. For one thing she wasn't sprawled out on the bed like she usually was. She was curled in on herself, lying stiffly.

I stood next to the bed for a while, trying to see the movements of her breathing. But she was such a shallow breather that gave up after a few seconds.

"Mom, I know you're awake," I announced. My voice came out clearer and calmer than I expected it to.

My mother remained motionless for a little while. Then she raised her head and turned to look at me. Her expression was resigned, tired. But there was no fear or worry, not this time. "Uh, Dad told me to sleep in here with you."

Mom smiled at me, and nodded. She reached over and pulled the comforter aside, gesturing for me to get in. I pulled off my shoes and slipped in beside her.

For a while we didn't speak. The room held that full silence where thoughts are mulled over and important things are left unsaid. But such moments were always unbearable for me.

"Mom, we're still okay. Dad would tell us if we weren't."

My mother turned over to look at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I said, leaning against a pillow, "We're still safe. Lisa's out there, but she can't touch us. Not with Dad here. I mean think about it. Of all the nights she's been free, she came _tonight_ , when we were out of the house. That can't be a coincidence, can it?"

My mother didn't answer. She looked away, her eyes half closed.

Hopelessly, I sighed. I tried one last time. "It's going to work out. I promise."

There was still no response from her. Then she moved closer and wrapped an arm around me. "Okay sweetheart," she whispered against my hair. "Okay."

Her voice was soothing, calm. But I could tell that she didn't believe me. The villainous threat was different this time- this time it had come into our house. There was no more mild restless worry on her part. She was waiting for it all to come crashing down. Again.

xxxxxxxx

After ten minutes of pleading, arguing and minor threats, I was well on my way to the bus stop. When I left the house my mom had been pulling out a variety of ingredients on the kitchen table. She was so intent on her task, she barely acknowledged me when I told her goodbye.

I was worried about her and I suspected that Dad was too. Outwardly she looked calm and collected as ever, but I wasn't convinced. It couldn't go on like this. Something had to be done.

When the bus pulled up and I got inside, it went deathly quiet. I tried to avoid everyone's gaze, but it proved useless; I stared right back at everyone. My eyes unwillingly fell upon Jonah's face. The last time he'd looked at me like that had been the morning of Lisa's escape. Only this time I couldn't smile at him to pretend things were all right. Turning away wearily, I suddenly wished I had stayed home after all.

I caught up with Warren during our study hall session. "I guess you've heard by now," I said, pulling up a seat next to him.

"I heard," Warren muttered, staring at the glossy pages of some muscle car magazine. So much for studying during study hall.

I gave him a curious glance. "Well, never mind the fact that someone broke into my house. I'm all right. Thanks for caring."

Warren looked up at me then. His expression was calm, but his eyes were dark with an annoyance I couldn't understand. "Why should I care? Obviously you don't."

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you. I saw you going over the edge of the school."

I stared at him, certainly not expecting that. I didn't think anyone had seen us. Not that I wanted to hide the fact or anything.

"Oh. I see." It was the best I could do at the moment.

"That's it? That's all you can say?"

"What do want me to say? It's not like he pushed me over or anything, which is more than I can say for Coach Boomer." I shook my head, still angry at the memory. "Besides, I'm fine, aren't I?"

"That's not the point. What were you thinking Arrian?" he said, narrowing his eyes. "I mean- a total stranger?"

"He's not a total stranger. I think I know him well enough." But somewhere in the back of my mind was a nagging uneasiness. I didn't like where this conversation was going.

Warren was hardly listening. "What was the last thing I told you yesterday? 'Watch out for yourself'. And then you go and do this? Seriously?" I could tell that Warren was trying to keep his voice level. But he still sounded pretty upset.

"Warren, I didn't-"

He looked me straight in the eye. "It was stupid Anna. Stupid and suicidal."

Then he turned back to his magazine, his mouth set in such a way that told me I wasn't going to get another word out of him for the time being.

Hurt, I turned away sharply and folded my arms. I couldn't see why Warren was being so harsh about this. Nothing bad had happened. Ok, so it might not have been the most responsible thing I'd ever done. But it seemed to me that Warren was making a bigger deal of it than it truly was.

But I didn't say anything. Annoyed, I picked up my Mad Science textbook and slammed it down on the table. If that's the way he wanted to act, then fine. I turned the pages of my text, stopping at _Chapter Twenty-four: The Theories of Limited Time Travel_. He's wasn't the only one who could ignore people.

xxxxxx

Then again, maybe he was.

Twenty minutes later, I closed my book and turned to look at Warren. He'd hardly moved since the last time he spoke. I rolled my eyes.

"So you're still mad at me, or what?" I asked nonchalantly.

Warren exhaled heavily, still staring at his magazine. "I'm not mad at you Arrian."

"Sure seems like it."

Warren closed his magazine. Then he turned around in his seat to look right at me. "It's just…I don't know. What's been going on with you?"

"What do you mean what's been going on with me? Nothing's been going on."

"You've been acting crazy for weeks. And then you go and do _this_? It's not like you to be so reckless and impulsive-"

"Says the guy who wrote the book on the subject." The words rushed out before I even aware of it.

But Warren wasn't upset. "That's different. That's not you. You don't sky dive with fliers you barely know."

"There's nothing wrong with Jonah. He took care of me out there. And he's training to be a Hero isn't he? He's just like us."

"No Arrian," he said so suddenly that I flinched. "That's just it. You can't be sure of that in a place like this."

"A place like-" I shook my head, confused. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Warren ran a hand over his face. When he looked at me again, his expression was tired and strangely distant. "Anna…this place, this school….some of the greatest Heroes in history have been created here." He closed his eyes briefly. "And some of the worst Villains you can imagine."

That silenced me. As his words began to sink in, the weight of them made me realize how different Warren's views on Sky High and its students were from my own. Jonah Mackenzie as a potential Villain… I just couldn't picture it. He'd have to go against everything that he was, abandon everyone and everything that was dear to him, and obsessively pursue his own evil purpose.

Just like my cousin had done.

Warren must have taken my silence for remorse, because his expression softened. "Look, I'm not saying that he'd ever…." He looked upwards before closing his eyes. "Some Heroes have more than one secret identity. And it's not always that easy to detect."

I didn't reply. I just sat there wondering what truly made us change from inherently good to irrevocably evil. It was a conscious decision for some, a subtle transformation for others. Maybe it was fate. I wondered if Paul had known the path he'd taken, or if he would have even admitted it to himself. There was no clear answer, and I began to understand how little I knew of the Hero world.

"Hey….you are okay though, right? I mean… _was_ it Lisa?"

I roused myself from my thoughts, and looked up at him. "The police don't know for sure. But they think so."

"How're your parents taking it?"

I blinked at him, mildly surprised. "They're okay, I guess. Mom's been kind of quiet though."

He nodded sympathetically. Then the bell rang. Warren put away his things and stood up. "Guess I'll see you in Hero History?"

"Yeah."

I leaned back in my seat, staring blankly at the closed textbook on the table. I didn't want to think about it; the knowledge that someone, very possibly Lisa had come into my home, and the fact that Sky High had a far more sinister quality than I'd ever wanted to know.

Standing up, I put my textbook away. I had a free period before Hero History. Maybe it was time to start catching up on my studying.

xxxxx

In the library I began perusing Mad Science texts, looking for revised editions of _The Advanced Basics of Mad Science_. The results of my last quiz had been awful, and I was hoping to brush up on my theory.

My fingers traveled along the spines of various books, looking for the ones I wanted. It was there that I saw them. Jonah and Kylie were standing against a wall near a shelf of outdated texts, clearly having a tacit argument about something. They were signing fervently to one another, their expressions heatedly indignant.

I kept myself out of sight but continued to watch them, unable to tear my gaze away. I couldn't understand what they were fighting about but whatever it was, it was making Kylie furious and Jonah very distressed.

Kylie stopped signing at one point to glare at him, even as he continued. His deep brown eyes became pleading as his hands began to slow down. But Kylie's stance was unyielding. She waited with narrowed eyes for Jonah to finish. When he was, she responded at length- verbally.

"I've already told you what I have to say about that," she whispered. "And I'm done trying to convince you."

Eyes widening, Jonah tried to sign something to her. But it was useless- Kylie was already walking away, and his speech was lost on her.

I stood there staring at him for a moment longer. Then I turned and left. I wasn't sure what had happened, but it left me with an unsettled feeling that didn't go away for a long time.

xxxx

In Hero History I was barely listening to Mr. Mnemonic. The dates and names made no sense, and I couldn't hold on to any of it. Gradually my gaze drifted towards the window. Outside the clouds in the distance were dark gray. I hoped it that wasn't going to rain any time soon; I didn't bring an umbrella, and Mom hated it when I tracked mud in the house…

Mercifully the class didn't last long. The final bell of the day rang out, and I gathered up my books quickly, not wanting to be late for work.

"Hope you got all the notes today," I heard Warren murmur as he placed his textbook in his bag. "'Cause I swear I'm not giving them to you later."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at that, knowing that no matter what he said Warren would help me out. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. And hey… look out for your family, ok?"

I stared at him curiously. It seemed like kind of an odd thing to say. But I didn't question it. "Yeah Warren, of course I will."

On the school bus Kylie and Jonah were looking up at me, wearing the same expressions they had when I'd first gotten on the bus at the beginning of the school year. Kylie with her hostile glare, Jonah with his vacant eyes. It felt wrong now, after all of his warmth. Something inside my head was issuing a warning, but I ignored it and went up to him.

"Jonah? You all right?"

And I saw it then. The flicker of subdued desolation in his eyes that abruptly vanished beneath lowered lids. Why was he acting like this? Why wouldn't he look at me?

Kylie put an arm around Jonah's shoulders, giving me a nasty look. She didn't saying, but her eyes clearly told me that she wouldn't mind in the least if I dropped off the planet. Confused, I turned to Jonah. But he still wouldn't look at me.

"Jonah?" I tried again.

"I think you should take your seat. The bus is about to leave," Kylie said coldly.

I rounded on Kylie, seething. But she got her wish. I took my usual seat in the far back in an incredulous daze. Kylie had gotten to Jonah. It was the only explanation.

As vindictive as Kylie was, I still couldn't believe that Kylie would go this far. I no longer harbored any grudge and it wasn't as if I was trying to steal Jonah's friendship away from her. But she seemed to think so.

The ache of loss that suddenly filled my chest surprised me. I looked outside and watched the gathering storm clouds. Lisa Kline's escape, my mother's withdrawn state, and now losing Jonah-

I didn't want to come undone like I had so many times in the past. But I felt as if I was losing control over more and more aspects in my life.

xxxxxx

I spent the afternoon stocking cans on the shelf of Maxville's Value Mart, thinking about what Warren had said to me concerning Sky High's populace, worrying about my parents, overwhelmed by everything. I was slowly breaking down. I could feel it. And I didn't know how to stop it.

After work I left the supermarket, and made my way toward my usual bus stop. But then I changed my direction at the last minute. I couldn't go home. Filled with desperate understanding I realized- I _had_ to see him

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Eight- "I Wish You Were Here."**

A pile of books were accidentally pushed off my desk and crashed noisily to the floor. One of the policemen glanced up with a sheepish look.

"Sorry," he muttered, then bent down to pick them up.

My father sighed. "He's new," he said softly so that only I could hear.

I was standing next to my dad by the doorway. My mother was so upset over the fact that someone had broken into my room that Dad had convinced her to go to bed and let him handle it. I of course had no objection to that.

Now it was a little after midnight and the two of us watched quietly as several police and CSIs took pictures and examined every inch of my rather small room. They dusted for prints, took photos and asked me questions concerning the items that had been arranged, suspicious people hanging around my neighborhood and pretty much anything else they could think of.

They had been skeptical of my story at first since there were no signs of forced entry, nothing seemed to be taken or damaged, and there were no witnesses. I suspected if it weren't for the fact that they respected my father so much they'd have dismissed me completely.

Detective Perpetua Marr came to us then. She was a short middle aged woman with graying black hair and squinty blue eyes. She'd worked with my dad back when he was still active and was also the one who had introduced him to my mother, an incident that cemented their lifelong friendship. For as long as I could remember, Perpetua Marr had been an irregular but consistent part of my life.

"You all right Anna?" she asked me, with a piercing stare that would make a saint squirm.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said vaguely.

With that said, she turned and gave my father a look that we both recognized all too well.

"Ah… Annie, why don't you go and get some sleep? Just scoot your mother over- you know how she likes to take up more than her fair share."

I frowned indignantly at them both. "What am I, seven?" Turning to Perpetua, I added, "If you have something to say, I think I'm old enough to hear it."

Perpetua at least had the decency to look embarrassed. When she got a tacit go-ahead from my father, she began, "Well, we're nearly done collecting evidence. And mind you, there wasn't much to go with. You say that nothing was taken…."

She trailed off and my father and I waited for her to continue.

"In any case, I'm not prepared to speculate, not right now. But I have to say… I'm pretty sure that this wasn't random. Based on what you told us, someone came here with a purpose in mind."

Things went quiet, except for the static of walkie-talkies and general shuffling in the background. Finally I managed, "You think it might have been Lisa."

My dad immediately jumped on that. "Annie, she never said that."

"But it's a big possibility," I pressed.

Perpetua opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to change her mind. Instead she exhaled hollowly and said, "It is a possibility, yes."

For a while none of us knew what else to say. Then my dad cleared his throat. "All right Annie. Time to sleep. Go on."

I didn't want to leave, even though I knew I wouldn't be of any further use. But the look on my father's face was unyielding. It was better to just go. So I did.

xxxxxxxxxx

As soon as I walked into my parents' bedroom I could tell that my mother wasn't asleep. For one thing she wasn't sprawled out on the bed like she usually was. She was curled in on herself, lying stiffly.

I stood next to the bed for a while, trying to see the movements of her breathing. But she was such a shallow breather that gave up after a few seconds.

"Mom, I know you're awake," I announced. My voice came out clearer and calmer than I expected it to.

My mother remained motionless for a little while. Then she raised her head and turned to look at me. Her expression was resigned, tired. But there was no fear or worry, not this time. "Uh, Dad told me to sleep in here with you."

Mom smiled at me, and nodded. She reached over and pulled the comforter aside, gesturing for me to get in. I pulled off my shoes and slipped in beside her.

For a while we didn't speak. The room held that full silence where thoughts are mulled over and important things are left unsaid. But such moments were always unbearable for me.

"Mom, we're still okay. Dad would tell us if we weren't."

My mother turned over to look at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I said, leaning against a pillow, "We're still safe. Lisa's out there, but she can't touch us. Not with Dad here. I mean think about it. Of all the nights she's been free, she came _tonight_ , when we were out of the house. That can't be a coincidence, can it?"

My mother didn't answer. She looked away, her eyes half closed.

Hopelessly, I sighed. I tried one last time. "It's going to work out. I promise."

There was still no response from her. Then she moved closer and wrapped an arm around me. "Okay sweetheart," she whispered against my hair. "Okay."

Her voice was soothing, calm. But I could tell that she didn't believe me. The villainous threat was different this time- this time it had come into our house. There was no more mild restless worry on her part. She was waiting for it all to come crashing down. Again.

xxxxxxxx

After ten minutes of pleading, arguing and minor threats, I was well on my way to the bus stop. When I left the house my mom had been pulling out a variety of ingredients on the kitchen table. She was so intent on her task, she barely acknowledged me when I told her goodbye.

I was worried about her and I suspected that Dad was too. Outwardly she looked calm and collected as ever, but I wasn't convinced. It couldn't go on like this. Something had to be done.

When the bus pulled up and I got inside, it went deathly quiet. I tried to avoid everyone's gaze, but it proved useless; I stared right back at everyone. My eyes unwillingly fell upon Jonah's face. The last time he'd looked at me like that had been the morning of Lisa's escape. Only this time I couldn't smile at him to pretend things were all right. Turning away wearily, I suddenly wished I had stayed home after all.

I caught up with Warren during our study hall session. "I guess you've heard by now," I said, pulling up a seat next to him.

"I heard," Warren muttered, staring at the glossy pages of some muscle car magazine. So much for studying during study hall.

I gave him a curious glance. "Well, never mind the fact that someone broke into my house. I'm all right. Thanks for caring."

Warren looked up at me then. His expression was calm, but his eyes were dark with an annoyance I couldn't understand. "Why should I care? Obviously you don't."

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you. I saw you going over the edge of the school."

I stared at him, certainly not expecting that. I didn't think anyone had seen us. Not that I wanted to hide the fact or anything.

"Oh. I see." It was the best I could do at the moment.

"That's it? That's all you can say?"

"What do want me to say? It's not like he pushed me over or anything, which is more than I can say for Coach Boomer." I shook my head, still angry at the memory. "Besides, I'm fine, aren't I?"

"That's not the point. What were you thinking Arrian?" he said, narrowing his eyes. "I mean- a total stranger?"

"He's not a total stranger. I think I know him well enough." But somewhere in the back of my mind was a nagging uneasiness. I didn't like where this conversation was going.

Warren was hardly listening. "What was the last thing I told you yesterday? 'Watch out for yourself'. And then you go and do this? Seriously?" I could tell that Warren was trying to keep his voice level. But he still sounded pretty upset.

"Warren, I didn't-"

He looked me straight in the eye. "It was stupid Anna. Stupid and suicidal."

Then he turned back to his magazine, his mouth set in such a way that told me I wasn't going to get another word out of him for the time being.

Hurt, I turned away sharply and folded my arms. I couldn't see why Warren was being so harsh about this. Nothing bad had happened. Ok, so it might not have been the most responsible thing I'd ever done. But it seemed to me that Warren was making a bigger deal of it than it truly was.

But I didn't say anything. Annoyed, I picked up my Mad Science textbook and slammed it down on the table. If that's the way he wanted to act, then fine. I turned the pages of my text, stopping at _Chapter Twenty-four: The Theories of Limited Time Travel_. He's wasn't the only one who could ignore people.

xxxxxx

Then again, maybe he was.

Twenty minutes later, I closed my book and turned to look at Warren. He'd hardly moved since the last time he spoke. I rolled my eyes.

"So you're still mad at me, or what?" I asked nonchalantly.

Warren exhaled heavily, still staring at his magazine. "I'm not mad at you Arrian."

"Sure seems like it."

Warren closed his magazine. Then he turned around in his seat to look right at me. "It's just…I don't know. What's been going on with you?"

"What do you mean what's been going on with me? Nothing's been going on."

"You've been acting crazy for weeks. And then you go and do _this_? It's not like you to be so reckless and impulsive-"

"Says the guy who wrote the book on the subject." The words rushed out before I even aware of it.

But Warren wasn't upset. "That's different. That's not you. You don't sky dive with fliers you barely know."

"There's nothing wrong with Jonah. He took care of me out there. And he's training to be a Hero isn't he? He's just like us."

"No Arrian," he said so suddenly that I flinched. "That's just it. You can't be sure of that in a place like this."

"A place like-" I shook my head, confused. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Warren ran a hand over his face. When he looked at me again, his expression was tired and strangely distant. "Anna…this place, this school….some of the greatest Heroes in history have been created here." He closed his eyes briefly. "And some of the worst Villains you can imagine."

That silenced me. As his words began to sink in, the weight of them made me realize how different Warren's views on Sky High and its students were from my own. Jonah Mackenzie as a potential Villain… I just couldn't picture it. He'd have to go against everything that he was, abandon everyone and everything that was dear to him, and obsessively pursue his own evil purpose.

Just like my cousin had done.

Warren must have taken my silence for remorse, because his expression softened. "Look, I'm not saying that he'd ever…." He looked upwards before closing his eyes. "Some Heroes have more than one secret identity. And it's not always that easy to detect."

I didn't reply. I just sat there wondering what truly made us change from inherently good to irrevocably evil. It was a conscious decision for some, a subtle transformation for others. Maybe it was fate. I wondered if Paul had known the path he'd taken, or if he would have even admitted it to himself. There was no clear answer, and I began to understand how little I knew of the Hero world.

"Hey….you are okay though, right? I mean… _was_ it Lisa?"

I roused myself from my thoughts, and looked up at him. "The police don't know for sure. But they think so."

"How're your parents taking it?"

I blinked at him, mildly surprised. "They're okay, I guess. Mom's been kind of quiet though."

He nodded sympathetically. Then the bell rang. Warren put away his things and stood up. "Guess I'll see you in Hero History?"

"Yeah."

I leaned back in my seat, staring blankly at the closed textbook on the table. I didn't want to think about it; the knowledge that someone, very possibly Lisa had come into my home, and the fact that Sky High had a far more sinister quality than I'd ever wanted to know.

Standing up, I put my textbook away. I had a free period before Hero History. Maybe it was time to start catching up on my studying.

xxxxx

In the library I began perusing Mad Science texts, looking for revised editions of _The Advanced Basics of Mad Science_. The results of my last quiz had been awful, and I was hoping to brush up on my theory.

My fingers traveled along the spines of various books, looking for the ones I wanted. It was there that I saw them. Jonah and Kylie were standing against a wall near a shelf of outdated texts, clearly having a tacit argument about something. They were signing fervently to one another, their expressions heatedly indignant.

I kept myself out of sight but continued to watch them, unable to tear my gaze away. I couldn't understand what they were fighting about but whatever it was, it was making Kylie furious and Jonah very distressed.

Kylie stopped signing at one point to glare at him, even as he continued. His deep brown eyes became pleading as his hands began to slow down. But Kylie's stance was unyielding. She waited with narrowed eyes for Jonah to finish. When he was, she responded at length- verbally.

"I've already told you what I have to say about that," she whispered. "And I'm done trying to convince you."

Eyes widening, Jonah tried to sign something to her. But it was useless- Kylie was already walking away, and his speech was lost on her.

I stood there staring at him for a moment longer. Then I turned and left. I wasn't sure what had happened, but it left me with an unsettled feeling that didn't go away for a long time.

xxxx

In Hero History I was barely listening to Mr. Mnemonic. The dates and names made no sense, and I couldn't hold on to any of it. Gradually my gaze drifted towards the window. Outside the clouds in the distance were dark gray. I hoped it that wasn't going to rain any time soon; I didn't bring an umbrella, and Mom hated it when I tracked mud in the house…

Mercifully the class didn't last long. The final bell of the day rang out, and I gathered up my books quickly, not wanting to be late for work.

"Hope you got all the notes today," I heard Warren murmur as he placed his textbook in his bag. "'Cause I swear I'm not giving them to you later."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at that, knowing that no matter what he said Warren would help me out. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. And hey… look out for your family, ok?"

I stared at him curiously. It seemed like kind of an odd thing to say. But I didn't question it. "Yeah Warren, of course I will."

On the school bus Kylie and Jonah were looking up at me, wearing the same expressions they had when I'd first gotten on the bus at the beginning of the school year. Kylie with her hostile glare, Jonah with his vacant eyes. It felt wrong now, after all of his warmth. Something inside my head was issuing a warning, but I ignored it and went up to him.

"Jonah? You all right?"

And I saw it then. The flicker of subdued desolation in his eyes that abruptly vanished beneath lowered lids. Why was he acting like this? Why wouldn't he look at me?

Kylie put an arm around Jonah's shoulders, giving me a nasty look. She didn't saying, but her eyes clearly told me that she wouldn't mind in the least if I dropped off the planet. Confused, I turned to Jonah. But he still wouldn't look at me.

"Jonah?" I tried again.

"I think you should take your seat. The bus is about to leave," Kylie said coldly.

I rounded on Kylie, seething. But she got her wish. I took my usual seat in the far back in an incredulous daze. Kylie had gotten to Jonah. It was the only explanation.

As vindictive as Kylie was, I still couldn't believe that Kylie would go this far. I no longer harbored any grudge and it wasn't as if I was trying to steal Jonah's friendship away from her. But she seemed to think so.

The ache of loss that suddenly filled my chest surprised me. I looked outside and watched the gathering storm clouds. Lisa Kline's escape, my mother's withdrawn state, and now losing Jonah-

I didn't want to come undone like I had so many times in the past. But I felt as if I was losing control over more and more aspects in my life.

xxxxxx

I spent the afternoon stocking cans on the shelf of Maxville's Value Mart, thinking about what Warren had said to me concerning Sky High's populace, worrying about my parents, overwhelmed by everything. I was slowly breaking down. I could feel it. And I didn't know how to stop it.

After work I left the supermarket, and made my way toward my usual bus stop. But then I changed my direction at the last minute. I couldn't go home. Filled with desperate understanding I realized- I _had_ to see him.

There was a florist nearby, and I bought a small bouquet. Ten minutes later I found myself standing in front of the gates of Maxville's Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Kneeling in the soft green grass, I set the flowers down and stared at that headstone for what felt like hours. The last time I'd been here was for the funeral. I couldn't bring myself to go back since, even though my parents often visited.

For the longest while I didn't know what to say. But I had to say something, or I was going to go insane.

"Um…h-hi Paul," I stammered softly. "Sorry I haven't visited. There were things… I got busy-" I stopped, closing my eyes and cursing myself. "That's a lie. I wasn't busy. I just… couldn't."

As thunder rumbled overhead, long minutes passed before I could speak again. "But I do think about you a lot you know. Every single day." I smiled. "Remember when I was eight, and I fell from that apple tree in your backyard? I barely grazed my knee, but I screamed like there was no tomorrow. But you, you took me inside and put a band aid on it. You said it was going to be okay." I sighed. "You'd say that whenever I went through a bad time. And I believed you, because you were always there to help me." My smile disappeared. I quickly wiped the tears away.

When I tried to speak again my voice broke, "I need that now Paul. I need you to tell me that it's going to be okay because…things haven't been going very well. I thought it would turn out all right, that I could be strong enough. But I don't think I can and- I just don't know. It's always been you Paul. Please. I don't know what else to do." No longer caring, I sobbed openly. "I miss you so much. I just wish you still here. But you're not, and….it's my… fault…."

The only sound to be heard was the soft wind through the oak trees. There was no one to answer.

Sighing, I wiped my eyes on my shirt sleeve and stood up. I stared at Paul's headstone for a long time. Eventually the sky grew so dark I had trouble making out the epitaph. Burying my face in my hands for a moment, I managed to pull myself together.

Yet strangely enough, I felt like Paul had listened. And that alone made me feel better. I would be able to handle tomorrow. I didn't have my cousin anymore, but I learned so much from his achievements. But more than that, I'd learned from his mistakes. I wouldn't make the same ones he did.

I knew now what had to be done.

There was a florist nearby, and I bought a small bouquet. Ten minutes later I found myself standing in front of the gates of Maxville's Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Kneeling in the soft green grass, I set the flowers down and stared at that headstone for what felt like hours. The last time I'd been here was for the funeral. I couldn't bring myself to go back since, even though my parents often visited.

For the longest while I didn't know what to say. But I had to say something, or I was going to go insane.

"Um…h-hi Paul," I stammered softly. "Sorry I haven't visited. There were things… I got busy-" I stopped, closing my eyes and cursing myself. "That's a lie. I wasn't busy. I just… couldn't."

As thunder rumbled overhead, long minutes passed before I could speak again. "But I do think about you a lot you know. Every single day." I smiled. "Remember when I was eight, and I fell from that apple tree in your backyard? I barely grazed my knee, but I screamed like there was no tomorrow. But you, you took me inside and put a band aid on it. You said it was going to be okay." I sighed. "You'd say that whenever I went through a bad time. And I believed you, because you were always there to help me." My smile disappeared. I quickly wiped the tears away.

When I tried to speak again my voice broke, "I need that now Paul. I need you to tell me that it's going to be okay because…things haven't been going very well. I thought it would turn out all right, that I could be strong enough. But I don't think I can and- I just don't know. It's always been you Paul. Please. I don't know what else to do." No longer caring, I sobbed openly. "I miss you so much. I just wish you still here. But you're not, and….it's my… fault…."

The only sound to be heard was the soft wind through the oak trees. There was no one to answer.

Sighing, I wiped my eyes on my shirt sleeve and stood up. I stared at Paul's headstone for a long time. Eventually the sky grew so dark I had trouble making out the epitaph. Burying my face in my hands for a moment, I managed to pull myself together.

Yet strangely enough, I felt like Paul had listened. And that alone made me feel better. I would be able to handle tomorrow. I didn't have my cousin anymore, but I learned so much from his achievements. But more than that, I'd learned from his mistakes. I wouldn't make the same ones he did.

I knew now what had to be done.


	9. Impossible

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Nine- Impossible**

I blinked sleepily in the dark. I was in my bed. Tiny strips of light from my window blinds reduced everything in my room to gray and purple shadows. Dawn was approaching.

And I was not alone.

Paul was sitting on a chair by my desk. He looked the way he used to- fresh-faced, smiling, human. I sat up in bed and stretched, giving him a drowsy grin. I didn't know why he'd come to visit so early. But it didn't bother me. It was just so good to see him.

It wasn't until he stood up and sauntered over to my bed did I remember: Paul was dead.

He hitched up his jeans before sitting next to me. "Hey Anna," he offered casually.

"Hi Paul," I tried to answer. But the words wouldn't come. Instead I heard myself saying, "You're not supposed to be…I mean, you're de-"

"I know," he broke in gently. He was no longer smiling. His face was so downcast, as if the reminder upset him.

But when he looked at me again, his expression cleared. "You look good," he said quietly, and some reason my hand wandered to my face. My scars were gone. If the incredulity of the whole situation didn't confirm it for me, that did.

"I'm dreaming," I affirmed.

Paul nodded, then shrugged. "Does it really matter though? I'm here, now. Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Of cour-" I choked with sudden emotion. Swallowing, I tried again. "Of course I am."

He brightened at that, which oddly enough made me feel worse. I asked him how long he was going to stay.

"As long as you want me to."

I knew that couldn't possibly be true, as I'd never want him to leave. But I didn't question it. Instead I asked him why he'd come, why now?

He was silent for the longest while. And when he finally spoke again, his voice was filled with so much sadness.

"It's time for me to look after you now."

I opened my eyes. It was morning, and Paul was gone-

No. He had never been here.

I looked around my dimly lit room, and let my eyes fall closed. The dream had been too short. I'd wanted more time to tell him how sorry I was and how much I loved and missed him.

It wouldn't be the last dream I had of him.

xxxxxxx

Three weeks had passed and there was still no sign of Lisa Kline. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air. The authorities were at a loss; the few reported sightings that had come in were proven to be totally false. It was disheartening to say the least.

But I hadn't been idle in the meantime. Since visiting Paul's grave I began to give serious consideration as to the use of my powers. It was something I'd staved off for as long as possible. But now with Lisa being an ever-increasing threat, I steeled myself and thought about my future, both as a functioning Super-Hero and as an independent possibility. What kind of Hero would I be if I couldn't even handle my own personal enemies?

I talked to my father about it first. He quietly listened to me as I explained how I felt about powering up, and that although the thought of it still scared me beyond belief, I was ready to try again. But I couldn't do it alone. When I'd finished talking, my father nodded. He looked almost relieved.

"Okay Annie," he said. And that was enough.

It was a slow process. My father powered up before me several times a week, an action that was extremely difficult to witness at first- the scorching white light dragged the all too vivid memories of Paul's final moments to the forefront of my mind.

But my dad didn't give up, nor did he allow me to. Days went by where he'd power up casually, usually catching me completely off-guard.

I only passed out once.

But it got better. By the end of the third week my father could use his powers freely in my presence, with only a mild uneasiness on my part. And for the first time in months, I began to seriously consider trying out my own.

In school, Jonah no longer acknowledged me. He wasn't being mean like Kylie, or coldly indifferent like Nicole. He sort of just looked through me. And he was good at it. Too good-Jonah would have had me convinced he didn't know I was alive if it weren't for the fact that he blushed bright red every time I stared at him hard enough.

But I wasn't mad at him. Okay, so I was a little angry at first. How could he be so weak, not standing up to Kylie? She was being absurd and he knew it. But after I'd had time to really think about it, I couldn't fault him. For all I knew they were the only two people who could truly communicate with him. It seemed unfair in that aspect- Kylie and Nicole were far more essential to Jonah's socialization than two friends had any right to be. And as unpleasant as Kylie was, it was obvious to anyone that she cared about him a lot. So I decided to stay out of his way.

I couldn't say the same for Kylie. She seemed to think that she had won some kind of battle. Whenever she saw me coming, she'd wrap an arm around Jonah's shoulders, gloating.

"You know she'll drive you crazy if you let her."

"Yeah. I know," I murmured, not looking away from Jonah, Kylie and Nicole who were laughing it up before classes started for the day.

Warren exhaled sharply, and I glanced at him. My shoulders sagged. "Okay, okay. I know I'm being ridiculous."

"You think?" he asked dryly.

"It's just…god, it's just so hard not to hate her sometimes."

Warren grinned at me. "Trust me, I know the feeling."

I felt a little better for the sympathy. "What time do you get off work?"

"Pretty early today- seven. But I can still pick you up."

Gratefully, I nodded. Most late nights he met me outside Maxville's Value Mart after work in his car to drive me home. "Cool. I finish at ten."

The bell rang, and I glanced up at the noise.

"Well, time to survive today."

Warren slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Truer words? Never spoken."

xxxxxx

When the bell rang for my free period I saw Jonah in the corridor, putting a few books into his locker. Neither Kylie nor Nicole seemed to be around for once.

I knew I'd promised myself I'd leave him alone. But at that moment, I didn't think about that. There was something I had to tell him.

When I came up to him he stiffened for a moment, not turning around. He continued fiddling with his locker, pretending I wasn't there.

I leaned against the locker next to his and stared at my sneakers. "I figured out why you don't talk to me anymore. Well, not talk exactly…but you know what I mean."

Turning to glance at him then, I saw that he'd stopped rummaging in his locker and now just stood there staring into it. Listening.

"I just wanted to let you know that… I understand. Don't really agree with it of course, but I understand. Those two…they're all you have in a way. It's hard to go against that. " I bit my lip, trying not to let the emotion tell in my voice. "Anyways, that's all I wanted to say. That I'm not mad and it's okay."

It was time to go. I started to walk away, and felt Jonah grab my hand. He looked into my eyes now, the first time he'd done so in days. And I saw the silent apology there.

He squeezed my hand gently, and I squeezed back. Then he let go and closing his locker, walked away and was soon lost in the rush of students.

Free period was winding down to a close. I finished up the peanut butter and apple sandwich my mom had packed me and went to the bathroom to wash my hands.

I couldn't have been there for more than few seconds before Kylie walked in. Her reflection in the bathroom mirror glared daggers at me and I fought the urge not to turn around.

She came and stood next to me, looking at me through the mirror.

"I saw you, you know. Talking to Jonah."

I finished rinsing my hands and grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser.

"So what?" I asked quietly as I dried my hands. "I can talk to anyone I like."

"Oh, that's what you think. See, he doesn't want anything to do with you. So why don't you just do us a favor and leave him alone."

Slowly, I turned to Kylie. Her arms were folded as she looked down her nose at me in that arrogant way of hers.

"Who are you, his mother? Jonah's old enough to make his own decisions." I took a step towards her and stared her in the eyes. "You keep reining him in like that? Sooner or later, he's going to break away."

Her bright green eyes flashed with anger. "You better be careful with me Anna," she whispered. "Jonah told me to go easy on you in Save the Citizen. And I did."

I scoffed. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

"No. It's a warning." Kylie leaned forward and switched off the tap. "You better watch out for yourself. I'm a lot more dangerous than you think I am."

And with that, she turned and left.

"Yeah? Join the club," I muttered.

_The dreams continued. Paul at my bedside. Sitting beside me on the bus. Lounging in the swing sofa on the porch. Always there, always as he was- human, and so alive. The dreams didn't occur every night, just often enough to be unsettling._

_And then…they ceased to be dreams altogether._

I left Maxville's Value Mart a little later than I expected. Outside, Warren was leaning against his car. His head was bowed against the icy wind, his flaming hands flickering wildly in the gusty winds.

"You know you're not supposed to do that in public," I said, yawning.

"Yeah?" he said, not looking up. "Never stopped us before."

In the car, I listed to the low sounds of the radio that was more static than music; the slight rattling of the heating; the tapping of Warren's fingers against the steering wheel. They were noises I'd grown accustomed to over the passing weeks. We hardly spoke during these times- more often than not we'd both be pretty worn out. But it was never an awkward silence. It was comfortable, unforced. Familiar.

When I got home, my parents were fast asleep on the couch in front of the TV. Smiling, I switched it off.

"Mom, Dad? Time for bed."

They roused slowly, and together we secured the house for the night. I checked to see that the doors and windows were locked, the curtains drawn. I went to the back of the house, double checking the lock on the sliding glass door.

I stopped breathing. For just beyond the porch lights in the windy darkness, stood Paul. And not the Paul from my dreams. He looked as he did all those weeks ago, the first time he came to me in a dream- gray-faced, terrifying and so, so beautiful…

Automatically my body froze as I waited to wake up from the nightmare that threatened my sanity. But I didn't wake up, and the macabre image of Paul forced the realization into me: I was very much awake.

But it wasn't possible. It wasn't-

"Annie?"

I jumped a mile and whirled around. It was my father, who instantly became alarmed when he saw the look on my face.

"Annie, what's wrong?"

I turned sharply back to Paul. But he wasn't there. And the next thing I knew, my face was buried in my father's chest. I couldn't stop shaking.

"What is it? What's the matter?" he keptsaying over and over again _._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mr. Mnemonic was droning on about something….Warren glanced at me once, twice- I stopped looking. I stared at my desk, quietly trying to keep it together.

Replaying the scene in my mind, I knew it was no trick of the light. I had not fallen asleep. I'd seen him. I had _seen_ Paul.

But I couldn't tell my parents that. They'd have insisted on getting my former psychiatrist Dr. Hannel, who I'd been seeing in the months following Paul's death. I never believe it had ever helped me much. He'd always give me a look as if I'd said something unequivocally insane, whether it was 'I killed my own flesh and blood' or 'Good Morning'.

There was no way I was going back to him. So I simply told them I had another panic attack. It was the only thing I felt I could do at the time.

The students began gathering their things. For a second I didn't understand why. Then I realized that Hero History was over for the day.

Warren came over. "Arrian come on, it's time for Super Physics."

And then there was Kylie. She saw me staring, and gave me her usual sneer. Kylie, who'd sworn she'd make me sorry for intruding on her little clique. Kylie, who had the ways and means to make me see what I did….

I went rigid as the shock settled, rising. Somewhere, Warren called my name. But his voice grew fainter, even as the distance between myself and Kylie grew smaller-

There was no conscious choice on my part. In a fog of indescribable rage I watched myself slam Kylie into one of the desks. My hands wrapped around her neck and I squeezed as tightly as I knew how.

As soon as she recovered from the surprise of my attack she began fighting back, against my body as well as my mind. There was searing pain, disorientation- she clawed at my hands and face. But I didn't let go. I wouldn't stop strangling until she stopped breathing.

Someone was trying to pull me away- Jonah. Automatically, I shoved him backwards into the nearby desks, before turning my attentions back to the one I wanted to end.

Warren appeared a split second later. He tried to pry me off, yelling at me to stop, but it didn't matter. Kylie had gone so far beyond turning the other cheek, so far beyond forgiveness…

But before I could finish what I started, I was suddenly torn away. Warren managed to pull me off. My arms pinned to my sides, I was hoisted off my feet as he hauled me to the other side of the classroom. Nearby, several students had watched the exchange in a kind of muted fascination.

"She's insane!" Kylie rasped, clutching her throat. "She tried to kill me!"

"You know what you did!" I screamed at her, trying to wrench away from Warren.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Cut the crap!" I yelled. "I know it was you! You came to my house last night; you made me see things!"

Kylie's eyes widened in shock and anger. "I was nowhere near you last night, you psycho!"

"You _liar_!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Cool it, Anna!" Warren said, trying to calm me down. He grabbed my shoulders and made me face him. "What- no, look at me- what is going on?"

"It was Kylie. Oh god, she…made me see-" I couldn't say it. I couldn't say his name.

But Warren seemed to understand. "Okay, it's okay-"

"Anna Arrian and Kylie Jordan!"

Everyone looked at the doorway. It was Principal Powers… and I'd never seen her so angry.

xxxxxxxxxxx

In the Principal's office, Kylie spared no details and I did not even try to defend myself. What was the point?

When Principal Powers asked me why I'd done it, Kylie interjected that I'd accused her of setting illusions on me.

"And did you?" Powers asked Kylie, her eyes narrowing.

"No! I didn't do anything to her, I swear. It's not my fault she's finally snapped-"

"That will be all Miss Jordan," Powers cut in brusquely.

I glared at Kylie. Her expression was so deceivingly indignant, so wronged that it was all I could do to keep from lunging at her again. She was lying. She had to be.

But Kylie was adamant. "I wasn't near her last night. I was taking care of my mom till practically this morning. She has the flu. Call her. She'll tell you."

Principal Powers looked at her for a while. "Don't worry, I intend to. You can go to class now."

And so I was left alone with Principal Powers.

"Anna. Why did you attack Miss Jordan?"

"She told you why." My voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'd like to hear it from you," she insisted.

I tried to take a breath to settle myself, only it came out stuttered. I closed my eyes, hating Kylie even more for putting me in this situation.

"She made me see something… horrible last night."

"What did she make you see?"

I didn't answer.

"Anna…was it…Paul? Is that it?"

My eyes flew open in horror. It was the last thing I expected her to say. I didn't know how she figured it out, but I wished that she didn't. I wasn't going to talk about this.

My expression must have confirmed her suspicions because she continued, "Anna, I understand that this is hard for you. But is it possible that Kylie had nothing to do with that? That you just _thought_ you saw him?"

I shook my head vehemently. For the next fifteen minutes Principal Powers tried to reason with me, get me to open up, but I would say nothing else. It wasn't a hallucination- it could only be an illusion.

And so there was nothing for it. My parents were called and notified of what happened. I prayed silently that Warren's name would be kept out of it, even if all he did was try to help. It would only make an already awful situation much worse. Thankfully Powers, who knew of Warren's and my family history, seemed to realize that and no mention of him was made. But that was about the only good thing to happen.

I was to come straight home after school.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My parents weren't any more successful at getting me to talk than my principal was. In the end, they sent me to my room, not as any kind of punishment, but so they could talk alone. It was just as well. I wanted to be left alone anyway.

An hour later, my parents knocked on the door and came in. I was sitting on my bed, looking over old pictures of Paul and I when we were very small. I didn't look up.

"Well, it took a lot of pleading on your behalf," I heard my father say. "Principal Powers agreed not to suspend you."

I turned a page of the photo album over and stared glumly at my grinning four-year-old cousin, whose face was smeared with cake icing. I remained silent.

"Anna, we can't help if you won't talk to us," my mother pleaded.

What was there to talk about? I thought bitterly. They knew the story. No doubt Powers had told them of what happened in great detail. Either they believed me or they didn't. And judging from their wary expressions, I was positive it was the latter. They told me earlier that they'd spoken to Kylie's mother, who swore up and down that Kylie hadn't left her bedside. So it was obvious they thought I was having a breakdown or something. What else could it be?

"Annie? Please, just say something. Say anything."

But there was nothing that I wanted to say, nothing that would really make a difference. Closing the album, I turned away from them and lay down.

For a couple of moments I heard them shuffling around as if they didn't know what to do next. Then silently they left, shutting the door behind them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I stared at the ceiling. There was no letting it go. I remembered him, standing in the shadow, staring at me with those haunting eyes. And for the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to go back to that first night…to the dream that I could never really forget.

_My parents had gone to bed, and the lights were off._

Did it really happen? Suddenly I was not so sure. And if I wasn't sure about that what could I be sure of?

_I decided to get some water before bed. After filling a glass at the sink, I strolled to the front door and went to sit outside on the porch steps for awhile._

I did that often enough. But that was the problem- I couldn't separate the memories from the dream. And losing that grip on reality, it raised all kinds of 'what ifs'. What if I was wrong about everything? What if Kylie really had nothing to do with what I saw, then….what?

_There was a movement, out of the corner of my eye._

_A shadowy figure stood across the street, looking straight in my direction. Uneasy, I got to my feet, still straining my eyes in the gloom._

_It was Paul._

But something was missing. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Sitting up, I threw my bedclothes aside and put on my socks and robe. If I was truly going to go back… I had to do this properly.

Downstairs, I opened the front door and was met by a gust of icy wind that tore through my flannel nightgown and chilled me to the core. What did I expect to find?

I looked around, half expecting to me see Paul in the exact place across the street.

But I was alone. Dead leaves skittered along the bare sidewalks. Somewhere, a dog barked. And the wind blew on….

I stared out into the night, until the cold was too much to bear. Then sighing hopelessly, I turned to go back inside.

An orange glint drew my attention to the bushes near the steps.

I hopped down into the wet grass. Tentatively, I parted a few of the tiny branches. There in the dirt, were the remains of a shattered drinking glass, catching the light of the nearby streetlights.

At first, it didn't make sense. Then when it finally came to me, I stumbled backwards in horror. I remembered.

I filled a glass at the sink. A glass I never brought back.

Not a dream. A memory.


	10. Meetings

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Ten- Meetings**

I felt surreal. For the rest of the night, there was no sleep to be had. With the new knowledge of my apparent dream having not been a dream at all, a whole new set of questions were raised, and I went dizzy with the onslaught of them all. Who was doing this to me? Why now?

The next morning didn't bring any real answers. I understood at last that it couldn't possibly have been Kylie and remembered the other times she'd openly used her power against me. The weight of her intent on my mind was overwhelming. It had never felt that way when I'd seen Paul.

I couldn't think of any other explanation. Unless…

Unless.

"No," I whispered to myself sharply. I wasn't going to go there. Paul was dead. I'd seen his body at the funeral, watched them close the casket, was there when they lowered him into the ground and covered him up with dirt. That had been _months_ ago.

My cousin was gone. And someone was trying to make me believe otherwise, trying to make me doubt my sanity.

Who else had the ability to make me see what wasn't there?

A face flashed in my memory: a smiling, kind face with warm deep brown eyes. With a terrible sinking sensation, I remembered the time in the school bus when Jonah made the sketches he'd drawn in his notebook come alive. He had the power of illusion, and without the mental unpleasantness.

But I couldn't wrap my head around that possibility. There was no way that Jonah would do something like that to me.

Would he?

xxxxxxxxxxxx

My father handed me a pair of pliers, muttering something as he tried to repair the wiring in my mother's favorite lamp at the kitchen table. Dad was by no means inadequate when it came to fixing things around the house, and today was no exception- tiny tendrils of light flowed from his fingertips into the wiring, repairing them in ways I couldn't begin to understand.

"How's it coming?"

"Nearly done," Dad answered distractedly. "Think I almost got it…there!"

He closed the latch at the bottom of the lamp and plugged it in. Sure enough it came on, shining nearly as brightly as my father's power.

"Nice work, Dad."

"Thanks, kid." He glanced at me once, then twice. "Something on your mind?"

I looked up, mentally preparing myself. "Uh, yeah. I was wondering if you knew about…illusionists."

"Oh yeah. Knew one back when I was in Sky High. Allan Grimsley. Pretty nice guy, very gifted. Went up against him in Save the Citizen in my senior year and it was awful. Just… awful."

He closed his eyes, and distress flickered across his strained features. "But Grimsley had a healthy respect for what he was capable of. He never used his powers unless he absolutely had to. I guess we got lucky with him."

"What do you mean?"

"It could just as easily have gone the other way. They say that illusion's all smoke and mirrors, but when it comes down to it, the power of suggestion is just that- a power. And an incredibly dangerous one at that."

I nodded, keeping my expression carefully composed. "And what about those that aren't so powerful?"

"I don't understand."

"Well, say someone chooses to … oh, I don't know, manipulate a picture on a page to tell a story-"

"Well as far I understand, that's a pretty basic illusion. Don't see why they'd do that, when they could just recreate the scene for you, clear as day."

"Unless…they couldn't," I murmured thoughtfully.

"That's certainly a possibility," he conceded softly. "If I remember my theory correctly, there are two-dimensional and three-dimensional illusionists. It's the latter you really want to watch out for. They can make you believe literally anything. But the two-dimensional illusionists… they can't really affect much. Alter reflections, pictures-"

"But not actual _things_? They couldn't make you see… people? People as real as you and me?"

Dad fixed me with a questioning look. "Hardly. That'd be way beyond their abilities- Annie, why are you asking this?"

I glanced out of the window into the backyard, to the place where I'd seen Paul. In the sunlight, the dying bushes shuddered as the wind picked up.

Turning back to my father, I smiled. "I'm doing a paper on illusionists. Just wanted to get your perspective."

Dad began saying something about the dishwasher, but I couldn't really pay attention. I remembered the few times Jonah had presented me with his illusions; always on paper and even on our school bus window one time.

Jonah was a two-dimensional illusionist. He couldn't have created such a nightmare even if he wanted to, I realized with a twinge of guilt.

No other possibilities. No other.

Except one.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

It had been about a week since I'd gotten into that awful fight with Kylie. Warren and I were sitting on one of the benches at the side of the school building. We lucked out and got a free period as Mr. Medulla was out sick. Apparently Mad Science couldn't fix everything- the cure for the common cold still eluded us.

"So Dad thinks I'm ready to start using my powers again."

Warren paused just as he was opening a bag of potato chips, and turned to look at me. "Do _you_ think you're ready?" he asked, after he offered me the bag and I declined.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I mean, I like to think so."

He looked at me reflectively for a moment longer before pouring some potato chips into his hand and shoving them in his mouth. "Well," he managed between noisy chewing, "That's… great."

 _So like Warren_ , I thought wryly. _Always playing it cool._

And it was true. As the weeks went by and the authorities were no closer to catching Lisa, Warren tried to be the epitome of reassurance. But try as he might, he never really had me convinced.

I regarded him now as he continued eating, and wondered how to tell him about Paul. After several seconds of quick deliberation, I decided not to. Not yet at least. I'd have to approach this in a different way.

Warren glanced sideways and caught me staring. "What? I have something on my face?"

I grinned, shaking my head. "No, sorry."

He raised an eyebrow, smiling dryly.

"Warren…I've been thinking."

"'Bout what?" he asked, his mouth half full.

"Lisa Kline." It wasn't really a lie. But it wasn't the complete truth either.

Warren didn't answer right away. He seemed to give up on the chips and closed the bag. "I was wondering when you'd get to that."

"The police don't have a single worthwhile lead."

"They're going to find her," Warren said, for what was probably the hundredth time.

"You keep saying that," I murmured, shaking my head. "But no one's any closer to doing it."

"Arrian-"

"It's been almost _two months_ , Warren. She came into my _house_ -"

"You don't know that."

"Oh come on! Who else could it have been?" I exhaled wearily. "I feel like she's watching me wherever I go. She's in my thoughts and my nightmares, and…I'm tired of it. I'm tired of doing nothing."

Warren grazed me with a piercing look, as if I'd just revealed something epic. But he pressed his lips together, saying nothing. I contemplated my hands, which were resting in my lap. It was time. Time to finally voice my intentions.

"Warren, I need your help. I need you to- to take me somewhere."

He furrowed his brow, mystified. "Where?"

It was a surprising effort getting the words out. But there was no going back. "The Youth Detainment Center. I… I have to talk to Jana Vega."

xxxxxxxxx

In the last two days the weather had become unseasonably cold, especially for early November. Above, the clouds were heavy with the promise of snow, and I tugged my jacket closer around me, though it didn't do much good.

The drive was silent for the most part. I couldn't bring myself to say anything and Warren was never really the type for small talk, especially under these circumstances.

When I'd asked him to take me to the Youth Detainment Center, I expected more than a few questions from him. But he didn't say a word about it, except to ask when I wanted to go, for which I was incredibly grateful. He assumed it was Lisa-related and I didn't tell him otherwise.

Like Maxville's Correctional Facility for Super Villains, the Youth Facility was situated on the outskirts of the city of Maxville itself in a fairly isolated place. As we drew closer to our destination, I began to lose my nerve. Could I face Jana again after everything that had happened… after Paul?

As Warren pulled into the parking lot, a wave of panic made my stomach lurch but I managed to remain collected outwardly. We went through the obligatory search, removing any items deemed a potential threat, which turned out to be nearly everything- our shoes, a cheap plastic bracelet I had on, even my hair scrunchie. The last one made me especially nervous. What could someone possibly do with _that_?

Finally, we were led into a white room. It wasn't what I expected. There were no chairs, or a table; no shatter-proof glass pane protecting visitor from prisoner (or vice versa); no sound. It was a room devoid of everything.

Curiously, I looked at Warren who seemed unsurprised by it all. Again, I wondered not for the first time if he had been here before.

We waited about a minute before they brought her in.

I couldn't help but gasp. Jana looked terrible. She was drawn and horribly thin. Metal bracelets hung from her fragile-looking wrists (I recognized them as power neutralizers). Her already pale skin was now hardly different from the white clothes she wore. Only one point of color struck out, and strongly- her right arm was burnt completely black, a past injury dealt by Warren. I glanced at Warren, suddenly wondering if bringing him was such a good idea.

Her hollowed-eyed gaze, which was languid and unfocused now became a sudden bright-eyed moment of loathing clarity when she saw who her visitors were.

" _No_! I'm not talking to them! Take me back to my room."

"Please Jana, just listen," I cried out, suddenly desperate.

But Jana simply glared at the security guard. "Take me _back_ ," she demanded.

"You'll want to hear what I have to say," I warned her.

"Oh yeah? Seriously doubt it," she called over her shoulder as she was being led out of the room.

Then, I blurted out in a last desperate plea, "It's about Paul!"

The words had a shocking effect on Jana. She stopped dead in her tracks, becoming even paler- something I didn't think was even possible. Shaking, she turned to us, her eyes filled with anguish. I recognized that look. She wore it the last time I'd seen her, moments after Paul's death.

Warren glanced at me in surprise. But he recovered quickly, his dark eyes once again becoming shielded, and wary.

"What…what about Paul?" she whispered, almost pleadingly.

"Look, I'll tell you everything ok? Just don't go."

Jana's eyes darted around wildly for a moment, considering. Finally her gaunt shoulders sagged. Slowly she moved towards the middle of the impossibly white room and sat down on the floor, crossing her legs. Hesitantly, we did the same.

She scrutinized us darkly for a minute before saying, "You're the last people I expected to see here."

"We need your help," Warren told her softly.

" _You_ don't get to ask me for anything!" she snapped. "Don't even talk to me!"

Warren rolled his eyes at her before looking away, clearly pissed off.

Noticing my stare, Jana added sarcastically, "You ok Anna? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"What happened to you?" I couldn't help but whisper.

She scoffed. "Don't know if you realized, but this isn't exactly a five-star hotel," she said with dry smirk.

Warren suddenly slammed his fist down on the ground, and Jana and I both jumped at the noise.

"Don't you dare act like you're the victim here. This place is more than you deserve!" He leaned forward, and it was a visible effort on Jana's part to stand her ground. Staring searchingly into her face he whispered, "You've been starving yourself."

"Well, hell. Aren't you a sharp tack." She exhaled. " _Was_ starving myself, till the guards caught on. Tell you something, being force fed through a tube is so not fun. Gag reflex? Totally gone," she said, with a mock suggestive sneer at Warren.

Warren glared at her incredulously, and I decided that I'd heard enough. "Jana, what do you know about Lisa?"

She turned to look at me. "You mean other than the fact that the pieces of her mental puzzle don't quite fit? Almost nothing. The only thing I knew about her was what we had in common. We'd both lost people we love about to-" she glanced casually at Warren, "-Battle."

"There must be something else. Something she told you while she was here."

"Here?" Jana choked out a weak laugh. "Lisa wasn't detained _here_."

I blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I told you, Lisa was off her meds. First day here, she attacked two guards and one of the kids here. They beat the holy crap out of her," she mused. "Then, when the doctor tried to treat her she cracked his skull on his work table. So like I said, a nut." She gave us both a once over before continuing. "They moved her to the psycho ward on the other side of grounds, like a mile from here. That was almost six months ago. I haven't seen her since."

Disappointed, I turned to Warren. He looked back at me, thoughtful. Then he turned to Jana. "So Lisa did spend some time here."

She narrowed her eyes at him, not answering for a long while. Finally she answered nastily, "It was only for a couple of weeks."

"A lot can happen in a couple of weeks," Warren insisted. "There must have been something she said, something she told you. Just think. Even if it sounded unimportant at the time."

Jana leaned forward, giving Warren a deadly gaze. "She was crazy. She ranted and raved about everything. Anna, you, your dad, _her_ Dad, swearing revenge left, right and center-"

"She swore revenge on us?" I asked in dismay.

Jana rolled her eyes. "Oh please. _Everyone_ swears revenge in this place." She unconsciously rubbed her burnt arm, her eyes haunted with some unpleasant thought. "She wouldn't shut up about what happened. She screamed bloody murder about it all, about everyone, except…" She paused, her eyes darkening.

"Except what?" I asked softly.

"Except… Paul." She became somber. "He _died_ , she saw him lying there and she didn't care. It was all about the stupid plan. She didn't even acknowledge that he...." She stopped and closed her eyes.

Unwillingly, I remembered the night that I'd lost my cousin, his lifeless eyes fixed onto mine. When it was all over the prison door opened and there stood Lisa, flanked by two guards. Her agonized scream…

It wasn't because Paul was dead. It was because Barron Battle was alive.

"You said you had something to tell me about…him," Jana was saying. She tried to sound nonchalant, but I heard the pain in her voice, saw the agony in her eyes. And the realization came to me. She'd cared about Paul, perhaps more than she ever let on to anyone. In spite of myself, I felt sorry for her.

"Yes…Paul," I said, glancing nervously at Warren. He'd known nothing of my suspicions concerning my deceased cousin, and to have him find out this way was something I'd unfortunately hadn't given any real consideration to.

"I've…I've been…I don't know exactly how to say this," I admitted.

"Just say it," Jana said, looking as unnerved as I felt.

"Okay. I've been…I've seen Paul. Like, I've actually _seen_ him." I struggled to voice the forbidden thought. "And…I think…I think it was really him."

I wouldn't look at Warren. But I could feel his eyes on me, relentless and intense. Jana stared at me impassively. For the longest while she didn't speak.

At last she managed, "What kind of sick freak are you?"

I flinched at her words. "What?"

"How could you say something like that? He was your _cousin_!" she screamed.

"Jana, I'm not making this up!"

"Then you're as crazy as Lisa is!"

I turned to Warren, at a complete loss for words. But he looked at me with a doubt that I ignored determinedly. "Don't you think I know how this sounds?"

"Then you'll understand if I'm a little skeptical," she ground out. "Paul is _dead_. You killed him, for heaven's sake!"

And there it was. All laid out bare, the evil truth of the matter. I lowered my eyes, trying to remember how to breathe.

"She…she's right, Anna," Warren said in a strained voice, as if he hated agreeing with her. "Paul's gone. Whatever you thought you saw-"

"He was different!" I burst out. "He wasn't like himself. I- I mean," I stammered, trying to find the words, "he looked… _wrong_ , like he was-"

The words vanished and my head snapped up. I gaped at her. A revelation so terrible knocked the wind out of me like a blow to the gut.

"Did you touch him?"

My voice was shaking so badly, I don't know if I made sense. But Jana's expression told me I did.

"We're done here," she said in a low and furious tone.

"You have to understand why I-"

"No!" The word cracked like a whip. " _You_ obviously don't understand. I would never turn Paul into that!"

I stared at her, not knowing what to say. Jana would never admit to this. And truthfully, there was no certainty. It was all just dark speculation and horrible ifs. I was just about to apologize for even suggesting such a thing, when Warren spoke.

"Maybe you didn't do it on purpose." He was staring at her oddly, and I followed his gaze- to Jana's burnt arm.

And a numbness washed over me as I suddenly understood.

Jana noticed what we were staring at and glared at Warren, positively snarling. "Admiring your work, Peace?"

"No," he murmured, not noticing her hostility. Looking up at last he asked her, "How well do you use that arm?"

Confusion darkened her features for a moment. "It works just fine-!" Then she stopped and horror flooded her face. She'd finally seen the light.

"No," she choked out in a voice between a whisper and a whimper. "I would know. I'd have felt it."

"With the condition your arm was in?" Warren asked.

Jana had no answer. She simply kept shaking her head, as if trying to deny the possibility.

"Jana, all I'm telling you is what I saw. I've tried my hardest, but there's no other explanation for it. I think you might have…done something to Paul."

There was a moment of silence. Then Jana lunged at me, wild fury in her eyes and I had no time to react. But before she could touch me, Warren shot forward and gripped her by the collar. He slammed Jana onto her back, knocking the wind out of her. At that moment three guards burst into the room. They immediately restrained her, as she screamed all kinds of obscenities at me.

"You _bitch_! I would never hurt him that way! You _killed_ Paul- you destroyed everything! I hope she finds you. I hope she kills you both!"

It was the last thing we heard before she was dragged out of the room.

……………………………………

Warren was silent on the return drive. I figured he needed time to process what had just happened. Later that evening he called me. He admitted to still being doubtful that Paul was in fact walking around somewhere. There just had to be a more probable explanation for what was going on, he reasoned.

"Have you thought that maybe…you just _want_ to believe that he's still around?"

I went quiet for a while as I thought about what he said. The truth was I _did_ want to believe it, to a certain degree. But it was more than that. I had exhausted every other possibility, and I didn't know what else to think anymore.

"Maybe I do," I finally answered halfheartedly.

My father called me down to dinner then and I had to go. The last words I heard from Warren before he hung up were, "We're gonna figure this one out Arrian. I promise."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It snowed for three days. With Sky High hovering just above the cumulous clouds, it had little effect on us during school time. But when we returned to the solid ground of the city, it was a different story entirely. My work commute was a nightmare and I sympathized with Warren, whose job took him about an hour farther away.

"Damn heater," Warren muttered.

The heating system in his car had conked out on us two days before. I didn't complain at first, but now it felt as if we were driving in an ice box and my warm clothes weren't helping much.

"Couldn't you…you know, power up a little?" I asked, struggling to keep my violent shivering under control.

"Sure," he answered dryly. "I'll just ignite myself in this enclosed space and hope you don't go up with the upholstery."

"Nice," I muttered irritably.

The car lurched forward, and I automatically gripped the dashboard.

"What the hell-?" Warren started in alarm.

The car shot forward again.

"Warren, cut it out!" I said nervously.

"I'm not doing it!" He gripped the steering wheel, apparently trying to get it under control. "Something's wr-"

Suddenly we were flying down the road, the accelerator pushing sixty, seventy…

"Warren?!"

"I don't know what's going on!" he growled through gritted teeth. He was struggling to control the steering wheel, which seemed to have developed a mind of its own. It made a sharp turn right, and we were hurled to the left. And still, we raced on at an ever increasing speed…

As I held on for dear life, I caught Warren's panicked stare, and it hit us both all at once:

Lisa Kline.

"How did she- where is she?!"

"Hold on!" Warren shouted, still desperately fighting for control of the car.

But it was no use- we veered off the road. I screamed out as we careened toward a tree.

Then…darkness.

x

x

x

x

x

x

I opened my eyes. I couldn't see much- there were branches filling up my line of vision and snowflakes in my eyelashes. The air smelt of exhaust, snow, and fresh earth. For a second or two I was confused. But then it came flooding back, with a face pushing itself to the forefront of my mind.

"Warren!" I was shocked to hear my voice come out in a pained whisper. Wincing, I turned to my left.

Warren was unconscious, his head hanging limply against the steering wheel. He was covered in the shattered glass of what was once the side window. There was a mean-looking cut just below his hairline and blood dripped slowly out of his mouth.

"Oh no… Warren!"

But he didn't move. I tried to sit up and cried out- my back was killing me. Looking up, I saw that a large branch had burst through the windshield; it had narrowly missed my head by only a couple of inches.

Tentatively, I tried to lift my arms. They seemed to be all right. I reached out and pushed Warren's shoulder gently. He didn't so much as twitch, which freaked me out more than anything.

"Come on, please wake up-"

There was a rustle of bushes nearly. I froze, remembering the true danger we were in. Someone was approaching the car…

"Oh god," I gasped, struggling to free myself from the seat belt which now refused to open. My back screamed in protest at the movement, but I ignored it. I had to get out.

"Warren, you have to wake up," I whispered, shaking him harder. "Please-"

Twigs snapping, branches being brushed aside, and even closer…

And then I saw it. A slender white hand, reaching through Warren's shattered window. A dirt stained face- Lisa's face- regarded his form too calmly. She didn't seem to have noticed me at first. I sat there dumbstruck as she stroked his hair softly for a moment- a treacherously affectionate gesture. Then her eyes shifted- she now looked straight at me. A small smile curved her mouth as her hand reached around- to grip Warren's throat.

I screamed.

And the world exploded.


	11. Degrees of Separation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Eleven- Degrees of Separation**

I was blinded. The intensity of the white light was overwhelming. It screamed in my ears; it numbed every inch of my skin; it smelled of new metal and tasted just as strongly.

The knowledge of what I was doing finally hit me and with a horrified gasp, I powered down. As my vision cleared, I could see the twisted metal of what was once the frame of Warren's car. The doors had completely blown out. The roof was contorted into something completely unrecognizable.

For several seconds I just sat there in total shock. Then I looked over to where Warren was. Miraculously, he was kept in place by his seat belt, but still out cold. Shakily, I leaned forward to where I'd last seen Lisa. She was lying on the snow-covered ground, her eyes closed.

But I knew better than to trust her. After making sure that Warren was still breathing, I unhooked my seat belt and scrambled out of the remains of the car. I didn't know what I was going to do once I got to her, but I knew this much- I had to keep her in sight.

Lisa wasn't moving. She wore a plain gray shirt and a pair of jeans, both of which were dirty and too big for her. She wasn't wearing any shoes.

I stared down at her warily for a split second before scrabbling for my cell phone. I had to call the police.

Without warning I was thrown off my feet, falling to the ground some feet away. My phone slipped from my hand, and I heard the sound of plastic breaking. I grimaced in pain, but scrambled to my feet in time to see Lisa already on hers.

She surveyed me with eyes that were hungrily manic. "Hi Anna. It's been awhile."

A muscle in her jaw moved and I knew it was coming. Raising my arms defensively, I gritted my teeth and struggled not to use my powers. But instinct took over. A pulse of light burst out of my hands, deflecting her attack.

But the light hit at the wrong angle, and the tail-end of Lisa's kinetic energy threw me upward. I landed clumsily, staggering, and saw her coming right at me in a running leap.

And there was no time.

The blows came one after the other for several long seconds before I grasped the collar of her oversized shirt and thrust my head forward, hearing a dull crunch.

Stunned, she fell backwards and I swayed heavily, trying with all my might to clear my head.

I was suddenly thrown aside, slamming against a tree. My already injured back was tormented under the impact. I couldn't move- and Lisa was on me again.

She clutched my face in her hands, and leaned in close. Her nose was bleeding heavily, clearly broken, but it didn't seem to even faze her. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," she said softly, her eyes never leaving mine. "Paul sure did a number on you, didn't he? It's just too bad he couldn't finish the job."

She let go roughly and stepped back. "Oh well. Tell Paul hi for me when you see him."

Her gaze shifted to her left. Then without warning, she suddenly flung herself to the right. A split second later, a rush of flames engulfed the place where she had stood. Her power released me and I fell to the ground, immediately turning away from the unbearable heat.

When I looked up again, I saw Warren rush her, a flaming fist raised and ready, and so close-

He flew backwards, landing onto the crushed car hood with a sickening crash. Before I could move a muscle however, an overwhelming force pinned me to the snow-covered ground. It was as if someone had placed a wardrobe upon my chest- I could barely breathe.

The realization settled sickly in my mind: If I don't do something, she'll kill Warren. She'll kill us both.

Lisa was storming toward him, passing me as she did so. I couldn't see him- I could barely turn my head. But I had to stop her, and there was only one way to do it. Gritting my teeth, I let out a yell of mental anguish. Bracing myself, I tried my hardest to raise my hand and could only manage an inch or two off the cold ground. But it was enough. I took aim and let loose.

The full blast of my power hit Lisa in the side. With a cry she fell over onto the other side of the car and out of sight.

Once again, I was free. But it didn't matter. I couldn't hold onto consciousness anymore. As I drifted into the darkness, I wondered numbly where Warren was, or if he was still alive. I hoped he was…

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

"Anna? Dammit… Anna?!"

I winced at the noise that made my ears ring horribly. Who was shouting?

"Anna come on, open your eyes. Can you open your eyes?"

I tried to. Anything to make the noise stop.

"Anna?"

After a very great effort, I managed to open them a crack. For a moment I was overcome by bright light, which dulled after a few seconds into what it was- the soft glow of the half moon.

The snow was falling heavily. And kneeling over me was Warren- bruised, bloody, but very much alive- wiping the snow from my face. He was all right, for the most part.

The moment I opened my eyes, he let out a relieved sigh. "Hey, hey. You with me?"

I tried to sit up, ignoring the sudden wave of nausea that came over me. "Lisa- where is she?"

He went quiet for a moment before whispering, "She's gone."

My thoughts were so muddled, I couldn't understand what he meant at first. Gone? What did he mean 'gone'?

"Did you… is she dead?"

Warren glanced up. "No. She got away. You were hurt…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "Can you stand okay?"

I wasn't sure if I could, but I wasn't going to tell him that- he looked worried enough. "Uh, yeah. Help me up."

He helped me to my feet and shakily, I turned and looked around. My mouth dropped open.

The car was totaled. No, it was even worse than that. Every window was completely shattered, the tires now shreds of rubber. The metal frame itself was twisted and dented in such a way it was hard to believe that we'd been in it.

Warren cursed softly, and I felt terrible. I knew how much his car meant to him.

There was a lengthy silence, then he murmured, "Come on. We need to get help. Are you sure you can walk?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

I unhooked my arm from around his shoulders, and thankfully managed to remain upright. Slowly, we made our way back toward the road.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ten minutes later the road was alive with police cars and ambulances. While the paramedics patched up our cuts and bruises, the police asked Warren where he'd last seen Lisa. Within minutes, they'd assembled into groups and headed into the woods to begin a search.

I doubted very much that they were going to find her. Lisa had done a pretty good job of keeping herself hidden so far, and from the looks of things, a snow storm was coming on. The authorities didn't seem to have a chance.

Warren was worrying a pair of butterfly stitches on his forehead and I absently swatted his hand away. He threw me the expected petulant glance, then looked towards the place where his car (or what was left of it) was being hauled away.

"Oh Warren, I'm so sorry," I said miserably.

"It's alright," he replied, staring dejectedly at the diminishing wreck.

"No, I mean…I'm _really_ sorry."

He caught the meaning in my voice, and slowly turned to me. Vague confusion turned into sheer disbelief. " _You_ did that?"

"Not all of it," I said softly.

"That means you…" I heard him falter. "You used your powers."

Surprised, I looked at him only to find him staring back at me. "Well, yeah. I had to. But… you're not mad?" I asked uncertainly.

Warren looked thoughtful for a while, then shook his head. "Nah, I guess not. I mean, there are worse things to lose."

I felt my face grow warm despite the cold weather. "Well, the bus isn't so bad you know. At least the heating works."

Warren tried to give me an affronted glare, but only ended up trying to hide the beginnings of smile.

"You get away from her!"

Oh _no_.

My back stiffened at the sound of my father's voice and I clenched my teeth at the pain it caused. I turned around slowly and faced my father, whose expression was a concentration of rage aimed directly at Warren.

At my father's words Warren immediately took two steps back, a sullen yet wary look in his eyes.

"Dad, now just listen to me for a minute-"

"I want you to get in the car," he told me in a low voice.

"But-"

"Anna, get in the car!" he ordered.

I fell silent. Dad never called me 'Anna'.

"Mr. Arrian-" Warren began.

"You listen to me," my father growled, "If I so much as _suspect_ you've been anywhere near my daughter again-"

"Dad!" I exclaimed indignantly.

"What is going on here?" asked a quiet but forceful voice.

The three of us turned around. A tall woman with shoulder-length dark hair approached us. She wore a long navy blue overcoat and steel-rimmed glasses. But I knew her better without them. She was Samantha Peace, Warren's mom.

A strange look came into my father's eyes, but he quickly composed himself and stared at her levelly. "Samantha."

"Charles," she replied shortly.

There was a certain sense of familiarity in their exchange that made me take notice. Looking at Warren, I saw that he picked up on it as well.

"I ask you again- what is going on here?" Samantha walked over to stand beside Warren, giving him an anxious once-over.

"Maybe you could tell me," my father said in a deadpan voice. "I get a call from the Chief of Police, saying my daughter was in a _car_ accident and that the Kline girl was involved. Then I come here to… _this_ ," he finished, gesturing at Warren.

Samantha fixed my father with a stern glare. "Please believe that I knew nothing of this arrangement." She was curiously expressionless, glancing at her son. Warren closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Well this so-called 'arrangement' is over." Dad placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "In the future, I would appreciate it if you kept check of your son."

"I could easily ask the same of you for your daughter," Samantha countered smoothly.

There was an awful silence. Then my father, insistent on having the last word said, "Just let this be the last time anything like this happens."

I shot him an incredulous look, but it was wasted on him. His hand still on my shoulder, he guided me towards his car.

Behind us, I heard Samantha murmur, "We should get you to the hospital."

"I'm okay."

Warren sounded anything but okay.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What were you thinking, riding around with his _son_? After everything we've gone through with that family?"

I had never heard my dad sound so angry. Swallowing, I stared straight ahead. I didn't answer.

Things were quiet for a minute or so before he started up again with, "This isn't the first time, is it?"

I wished he would just drop it. Hadn't I gone through enough for one evening?

"How long?" he insisted.

"What?" I answered irritably.

"I asked you how long have you been hanging around Battle's son?"

I tossed him a resentful look. "He has a name," I muttered.

"Don't you change the subject-"

"It's 'Warren', not 'Battle's son'!"

"I know who he is!"

"I'm not getting into this with you, okay? Not now, not after…." I buried my face in my hands momentarily. "God, Dad…Lisa Kline tried to _kill_ me tonight. Can't you have a little perspective?!"

"She would never have gotten to you if you weren't with-"

"You can't possibly know that!"

"Don't tell me my business, Anna! I know a hell of a lot more about it than you do!"

Speechless with anger, I could only shake my head at him. Anna again. I wondered how long that was going to last.

We argued all the way home. My father wouldn't listen to reason, and only demanded that I tell him why I was with Warren in the first place, and how long I'd been spending time with him outside of school. Equally stubborn, I refused to answer any of his questions and when we arrived home, I stomped through the front door, right into the arms of my mother.

"Anna?! Oh, what happened?" My mother whispered into my hair.

"Lisa attacked us." My voice came out muffled against her night robe.

"'Us'?" she asked.

"She was with Barron Battle's son," my father said. I could almost feel him glaring at me.

My mother went still. My father began to fill in the details, what little he knew. He then added in a sour tone that I wouldn't tell him anything else.

I finally pulled away from her, half expecting her to look the very picture of distress. But she was much calmer if anything.

"Oh. I see." That was all she said.

My father looked as confused as I felt. "Diane, didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Yes, I did." Looking at me, she added, "Anna, are you all right? Are you hurt badly anywhere?"

"I'm fine," I said immediately.

"Then you should go to bed. Yes… I think a good night's sleep would be best for you right now."

I nodded and made my way up the stairs. Glancing back, I saw my mother with her calm blank expression and my dad, uncharacteristically stern.

xxxxxxx

I didn't even try to sleep. Sitting in the chair at my desk, even though my back hurt to be in that position, I replayed the events of that evening. Lisa Kline had found us completely out of the blue and nearly killed us both. The full meaning of what had happened sunk in at last, and if it wasn't for the fact that I was already sitting down I would have collapsed onto the floor. How did Lisa know where we were? There was no way that was a coincidence.

I remembered Warren. He'd looked so much worse than I did. I thought about calling him, to make sure he was really all right, but eventually decided against it. It mightn't be the best idea, considering what had just happened between our parents.

Sitting up straighter, I looked towards the door, suddenly wanting answers from my father. All of my life, he'd never even so much as hinted that he knew Samantha Peace. And the coldness that hung between them was a mystery. I understood the ill feeling my father harbored toward Warren's dad. But why his mother?

Outside, my father's voice rose and fell indignantly at various intervals. My mom's voice was only a soft murmur in the background. I could only imagine what they were talking about.

I glanced at my digital clock. Forty-five minutes and they were still talking. Hissing at the pain in my back, I stood up and quietly opened my door. I tip-toed to the top of the stairs, but I still couldn't hear much of anything. I strained my ears and managed to get a few bits and pieces:

"She's all right now, Charles-"

"..could've been so much worse…"

"… you can't make her…"

"… to lose her. I couldn't bear that…"

Feeling a little bolder, I went down a few steps, then a few more until I could see them in the living room. They were on the couch. Mom was holding my father in a comforting way, her eyes closed.

But Dad was doubled over and his shoulders were shaking. He looked disturbingly vulnerable.

Silently, I crept back to my room.

………………….

Paul was right there with me in the snow. He told me I had to get up, that I had to fight. But I was pinned under the force of Lisa's telekinesis, and couldn't move.

I tried to call out to him to help me, to save me. But he just knelt there, shaking his head apologetically. He told me I knew what I had to do.

With the greatest effort, I raised my hands. And my entire body burst into scorching white light-

…………….

I woke up with a gasp. Closing my eyes for a moment, I collected myself. Then I pulled on my robe and made my way downstairs.

The house was quiet, cold, and too bright with the morning sun. Mom wasn't in the kitchen, in the backyard garden or in the bedroom, all of which were usually a safe bet. Yawning, I gave up the search and decided to look for my father instead.

I found him sitting in his study, absently twirling a pen in mid-air using his kinetic-illuminating ability when I walked in. He immediately snatched it out of the air, setting it on the desk before him, keeping his expression nonchalant.

"Where's Mom?"

"She left to run some errands," he said in a deliberate offhand manner.

I nodded, staring at my socks. Then:

"Dad, I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" he shrugged. "Why on earth should you be sorry?"

"Please don't."

"I just can't understand why you would do this," he said suddenly, standing up. "Why, out of all the kids at Sky High, you had to make friends with _him_?"

"Because, out of all the kids at Sky High, he's the only one I _could_ make friends with."

"Oh really? And how do you figure that?"

"You don't know, Dad. The way they look at me in school. They think I don't know how they talk about me. About what I did…" I shook my head. "Warren's the only person there who makes me feel even remotely normal. He doesn't treat me like I'm about to shatter at any minute; he doesn't stare at my scars. He's there for me, because…he was _there_."

I couldn't help it at that point. I wiped my eyes in frustration.

"You never told me that," my father said softly.

"That's because I didn't want you to worry about me. You always worry too much."

My father's sympathy was obvious, but his expression remained adamant. "You have no real idea of that man's history-"

"It has nothing to do with Warren," I pointed out, exasperated. "For goodness sake… you think I didn't see the look you gave him?" Drying my eyes, I looked at him squarely. "I'll tell you something Dad, the way you acted last night… you really shamed the family. You shamed _me_."

Dad glanced up sharply at that. We stared each other down for what seemed like forever. Then finally he turned away.

Pulling up a seat I sat down across from him. "Dad... talk to me."

My father sighed heavily. "When I saw his son- Warren," he corrected himself when he saw my disapproving stare, "I guess I just lost it for a minute. That kid… he looks _so much_ like his father."

"I know," I said quietly.

Dad looked far away. "I always told her he was bad news. But she was so stubborn…"

"Who was?"

Dad smiled vaguely. "Samantha Peace."

I sat back. "So you do know her."

He stood up and went towards the window that overlooked our front lawn. When I saw his face again, it was filled with reminiscence. "We were lab partners in our first year. It was a simple chemical analysis, but somehow she nearly sent the school into nuclear meltdown. She was just hopeless in Mad Science," he added, smiling.

"I decided to just take the blame for it. She just looked so terrified at the whole thing. We became pretty close after that."

"You mean you and her were…?" I couldn't finish the sentence- the possibility was far too creepy to think about.

Dad's brow furrowed in mild confusion. Then he suddenly laughed. "Oh no, it was nothing like that. Samantha was like a little sister to me."

"So what happened?"

His light expression disappeared. "Barron Battle happened. I never liked him; I always knew he'd end up in a bad way. But Samantha wouldn't listen to me. She was in love and that was the end of it. We never stopped fighting over that."

My father shook his head. "I prayed that they would break up, that she'd finally see reason. But come senior year, she told me they were going to get married after graduation. I was furious, and we got into this big fight. She said that if I wouldn't accept him, then she wanted nothing more to do with me. Then I told her if she was so willing to throw her life and reputation down the drain, I didn't want anything to do with her either. Of course, I didn't really mean it. I was just angry at the time. But Samantha obviously did. That was the last time we ever really spoke. Until last night."

I was quiet for awhile, letting it all sink in. "You never said. You never even mentioned it."

"Oh what would've been the point, with everything turning out the way it did?" He sat back down. "Annie, I understand what you're saying, I really do. And I admit… I could have handled myself better last night. But things are getting far more complicated than they need to be, and I'm telling you- I'm begging you- to stay away from that kid."

Subdued, I glanced down at my hands. After a moment's hesitation, I took a deep breath. And watched my hands slowly fill with light.

My father gasped softly, and I looked up at his shocked expression. "Last night, for a moment… all I could think was, 'Oh my god, I'm going to lose him too.'" I powered down. "I forgot to be scared."

Dad came over, taking my hands in his. "Annie, I just can't let you-"

"He's been looking out for me ever since Paul died," I realized, half to myself. "I sort of took him for granted that way." I looked at my father, slightly confused. "And now you're telling me I can't be his friend anymore? You and Mom…you can't always be there. I give him up, and I'm left all alone. So what do I do then, Dad? What do I do?"

There was a pleading note that crept into my voice and I waited expectantly for an answer, any answer that would help me, that would make things all right. But my father dropped his gaze.

There was no answer to be had.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

For the next two days I watched my parents watching me- my father, expecting me to defy him in some way; my mother, waiting for me to need her.

But I did neither. Homework, chores, and my own thoughts served as a temporary escape from their overwhelming emotion. Monday was approaching- a day of isolation and misery. No doubt Samantha Peace would have told Warren what my father had told me- that we were to keep our distance from one another. The thought made me even more miserable.

I remembered when Paul was alive, and how my entire socialization revolved around him. Now he was gone and it became clear that the universe was dead set against me having a single friend. First Jonah, and now Warren.

What was I going to do? Dad certainly couldn't physically stop me from seeing who I wanted to, but the fact also remained that I had never truly defied him before. And even with that hanging over both our heads, I knew he could tell I was thinking about it. After all, I never actually told him I'd do as he wanted, no matter how hard he'd begged.

I'd finished shoveling the snow from the steps, front path and sidewalk, and trudged back inside. My father came up to me as soon as I closed the door.

"Just talked to Principal Powers. We both agreed that all things considering, Sky High remains one of the safest places you can be."

I narrowed my eyes. "I didn't realize my going back to school was an issue."

"It's not. As long as the rules are followed."

There was no mistaking his meaning. I wanted to ask him sarcastically if he was going to have the principal keep an eye on Warren and myself to make sure we weren't fraternizing. But I knew it would be a waste of words.

"Annie?" my father prompted.

I folded my arms and wouldn't look at him. But there was nothing for it- he wanted my assurance.

Finally I exhaled. Staring at my boots, I muttered, "Yeah Dad. I'll follow the rules."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Now class, what is rule Number One of the Hero's persona?" Miss Julie, our Hero Arts teacher asked brightly.

After a chorus of sighs and groans we droned, "Style is everything."

"And rule Number Two?"

"There is no style in losing to your villain."

"Well done!"

Bored out of my mind, I turned to where Warren was sitting for what was probably the hundredth time. He looked a lot better since I last saw him two days before, but the cuts and bruises were still fresh.

When he'd come into class that morning, he gave me a hesitant look but went to his seat without a word. I expected as much, but it was pretty hurtful all the same. I blinked rapidly, staring down at my textbook.

It was strange after all this time pretending not to see each other in class and the hallways and during lunch. But in a way it felt familiar. All the times when I walked past Warren with Paul at my side, dutifully ignoring him as I was supposed to, yet completely aware of him just the same.

Now Paul wasn't here. And I didn't know how to act.

Our classmates tried their best not to stare at our obvious injuries, but they were never very good at subtlety. By lunch time, the news of our attack had got out and it seemed the whole school was talking about it. Warren wasn't handling that very well.

When Hero Arts was over we were making our way outside. I was walking a little way behind Warren, when I heard it:

"Never thought anyone could kick his ass like that. I mean, did you see his face?"

The next thing I knew, some boy was pinned against the lockers, his throat being slowly crushed by Warren's forearm. He tried frantically to avoid a fireball that Warren was holding in his other hand.

"Warren!" I said, shocked. I grabbed his arm, and after a couple of harsh tugs he finally relented. The flames vanished from his hand and he let the boy go, who immediately hightailed it.

Glaring at the other students I snapped, "What are you looking at? Don't you have anything better to do?"

They shuffled away.

Shaking my head, I found Warren glowering at me. "What? So I was supposed to let you burn the guy's head off?"

"Why not?" he retorted.

I didn't answer, but just stared at him. He stared back. The anger in his expression faded, and he suddenly looked very tired. He buried his face in his hands for a moment before running them through his hair.

"I'm not supposed to be talking to you anymore," he said when he finally looked up at me again.

"Yeah, I know. Me too."

We both looked away for a long time. Then Warren asked, "Can you keep a secret Arrian?"

I gave him a curious look. "Sure."

"Good." He smiled meaningfully. "So can I."

For a moment I didn't know what to say. Then slowly, I smiled back. Dealing with Warren, I knew that words were often unnecessary.


	12. Epiphany

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Twelve- Epiphany**

I was working the late shift at Maxville's Value Mart. That should work.

And my father believed it. As I hung up the pay phone small pangs of guilt tugged at me, but I shook it off. It had been about a week and a half since I began sneaking off to see Warren. I'd never deliberately fabricated lies to tell my parents before- it was completely against my nature. But I had no other choice. I couldn't just give up the only friend I had just because my father had issues with his parents.

Glancing nervously up and down the windswept street, I stepped inside the Paper Lantern, the restaurant where Warren worked. He was on his break and just coming out from the back, wiping his hands on a towel.

"So, did he buy it?" he asked casually as he slid into the seat across from me.

I frowned at his question. "Do you have to make it sound like that?"

"Like what?" he asked with genuine innocence.

"Oh, never mind."

Warren looked at me contemplatively. "You know… if you're having second thoughts about this-"

"I'm not," I assured him quickly. "It's just…nothing. Nothing."

The truth was I didn't want to tell him how frustrating it was lying and sneaking around because of our parents' disapproval- I knew I couldn't have been the only one who felt that way. Warren had done a pretty good job of dealing with everything that had happened, and he never once complained. It hardly seemed fair for me to.

"What about you? Does your mom suspect anything?"

"Nope. Too busy saving the city, I guess."

Lucky you, I thought with a touch of envy.

The conversation soon turned towards Lisa Kline, which was just mainly idle speculation. What we didn't talk about were our true fears, every worst case 'what if' scenario. Those unspoken words hung in the air like the proverbial elephant. What if Lisa found us again? What if we lost next time?

Across from me, Warren's face was guardedly thoughtful. He was staring at a group of people at a nearby table. But it was all a ruse, a careful distraction. When he finally turned back to me with that reassuring dry grin, I knew.

He was worried.

After about twenty minutes had lapsed by before I stood up. "I should get going. My dad might come early to get me."

My father no longer trusted me to get home on my own and had taken to picking me up after work. I'd protested fiercely, but he wouldn't budge on the matter.

Warren stood up as well, helping me put on my coat before playfully pulling my snow cap over my eyes.

"Really nice," I said amusedly into the darkness. When I pulled my snow cap back up, Warren was heading toward the kitchens with a final wave.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Kylie and Jonah were on a roll. Always the heroes, they played an immaculate game of 'Save the Citizen' and when it was over, they embraced one another. I clapped along with the rest of the students, meeting his eyes as he passed me by. He grinned at me tentatively before joining Kylie and Nicole on their way out.

After lunch all the students were to go into the school auditorium. Principal Powers had notified us of meeting here, and I overheard a couple of students say that it had something to do with graduation.

They were not wrong. When we arrived, there was a folder resting on every seat. They turned out to be graduation packages containing forms and receipts to be filled out and signed by us and our parents. I flipped through the folder, quickly assessing its contents.

"You only have a few short months before you graduate and begin your life as a Hero and Hero Support respectively. Now we need the following forms returned to us, signed by both you and your parent or guardian…"

I pulled out a pencil and tried to keep up with everything that was said. When that was done, Powers continued to talk about costume tailoring and fittings, and I took down notes. It was kind of surreal knowing that I would graduate in a few short months, even though it felt like I'd been here for several lifetimes. Paul and I had planned to forfeit our Hero Support and work together after we graduated. Well, that wasn't going to happen now. I wondered who I'd be paired up with.

"What do you know- the torment's almost over," I heard Warren mutter behind me.

I grinned wryly. "Who would have thought?"

When we went on to Super Physics, I thought about my life after Sky High. It was almost upon me and I wasn't surprised to discover that I didn't exactly feel ready to save the world.

Would I be a good Hero? Who would my sidekick be? Would we get along? Would I help more than I hurt? How long would I last out there?

Only the best of the best enjoyed long careers as superheroes. The others more often than not ended up as villains, or like my dad… or worse.

What was going to happen to me?

………………..

There was blood on the snow. I heard Warren shouting something, but I couldn't see him. Voices were everywhere- whispering, shouting, screaming. They made me confused.

Then I suddenly went cold, and fell to the ground, gasping. I couldn't breathe- something warm and sticky was pooling around me which gradually became cold as well. Warren's voice grew fainter and suddenly I couldn't hear anything except the sound of my breathing which became frighteningly shallow.

And suddenly, Paul appeared. He was gray-faced again, smiling, beautiful. Then it came to me.

I was dying.

…………………

As I was making my way to the school library, I saw Warren coming right up to me with an unusually grave expression. Confused and a little nervous, I immediately made a detour into an empty classroom. Warren followed me.

I turned to him. Warren's face was a confliction of anger and distress.

"Something's happened," I said. It wasn't a question.

"Lisa killed two people last week. An old man and his wife."

"What?" I whispered in shock.

"They found her breaking into their house, and she…" Warren closed his eyes. "She tore them apart."

In a daze I sat down, suddenly feeling sick at the mental imagery of his last words. Lisa's evil intent was clear, but for some reason I didn't once think of her hurting the innocent everyday people of Maxville. I'd stupidly assumed she'd just come after us and ignore the rest of the world. It was a mistake. A mistake that cost two people their lives. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision.

After a minute or two, I took a deep breath and tried to get focused. "Okay, wait a minute. You said last week. How is that- I mean, we should have heard about this. My dad would have told me-"

"I don't think he knows, Anna. The police… they won't say anything."

"Then how do _you_ -" I stopped. "Your mom."

Warren walked past me, leaning against the teacher's desk. "She found out. They tried giving her the runaround, but she never could take no for an answer."

I took one look at Warren and knew what he was thinking. "Warren, you can't blame yourself for this-"

"I should've killed her," he said bluntly. "I should've killed her when I had the chance."

"What are you talking about?"

He threw me a bitter glance. "I hesitated, Arrian. I had a clear shot and I hesitated and now two people are dead."

I shook my head. "That's not fair. I had chance to kill her too and I didn't."

"That's different," he said quietly, avoiding my eyes.

"How is it different?" I demanded.

"You know how," he told me sharply.

There was a silence, as his meaning sunk in. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"Arrian-"

"Okay just stop right there. I'm not going to stand here and let you blame yourself out of some twisted sense of chivalry. We both did the best we could-"

"No, we got our asses handed to us, that's what happened!"

I gave him a hard look. "You're a real poet, you know that?"

He shrugged irritably. "Yeah well, it's a gift."

I scoffed at him, exasperated. Warren was just venting I knew but I couldn't take this, not right now.

Thankfully, the bell rang. "I have to get to class," I said sullenly before walking out of there.

The rest of the day passed slowly, and I tried not to pay attention to it. But that proved impossible. Lisa had crossed the final line of villainy. She'd committed murder. There were two less people in the world, people that would still be here if only we had just…

Fought harder? Didn't hesitate? What could we have changed, or done to have things turn out differently?

The bell signaled lunch time, but I wasn't the slightest bit hungry. I put my books into my bag with a measure of deliberation, and dragged myself out of my seat. Walking out of the classroom, I saw Jonah out of the corner of my eye near the lockers and risked a glance. He was standing with Nicole, watching her with grave concern as he took her hands in his. She didn't look very well… kind of pale.

But I kept walking and soon forgot about them, too preoccupied with Warren's news.

xxxxxxxxxx

The rain was really coming down and the biting wind didn't make things any better. But it was only a few more moments until I was enveloped in the welcoming warmth of the Paper Lantern restaurant.

I'd debated whether or not I should've come over that evening. But in the end my concern for Warren won out over my reluctance to get into another round with him.

I slipped into the nearest empty seat I could find, pulling off my gloves. I glanced around the hazy soft lit room, but I didn't see Warren anywhere. I knew it was the end of his shift. He was probably just finishing up. I leaned back into my seat, rubbing my eyes.

A few minutes later I heard, "Hey."

Looking up, I saw Warren in the seat across from me. I nodded in acknowledgment, watching him carefully.

He looked away with a guilty expression. "Sorry. I was being an idiot."

"You were upset."

"Still, it…" he turned slightly, glancing at me from the corners of his eyes. "We're all right?"

"We're all right," I assured him.

But we weren't. Still haunted by the memory of the murdered couple, we were both growing restless- I could feel it. Something had to be done, before it happened again.

"Where is she Anna?" he said suddenly, in a voice that sounded so far away. He was slowly spinning a salt shaker on the table, watching as the soft light caught the glass. "She can't make herself invisible. And everyone's looking for her. She has nowhere to go-" He cut himself off in mid-sentence. His eyes traveled to the side of our table, where the pepper shaker stood. He slowly dragged it over so that the two bottles were resting side by side, and stared at them for a long time.

"Someone's helping her," he breathed.

My eyes widened in surprise. "What makes you so sure?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense. Lisa escaped from the facility months ago. Practically everyone in the city is on the lookout for her, but no one's so much as seen her except for us. She's always one step ahead of everyone. And how did she find us, Arrian? How did she know we'd be driving on _that_ street at _that_ time?"

I didn't have an answer to any of his questions. His suspicions made sense, but I didn't want to think of the possibility. It somehow made things a lot worse. One person targeting us was bad enough. But two?

"Maybe… maybe she's been watching us," I offered.

But Warren shook his head firmly. "No. It'd be too risky to be out in the open like that. I think… someone's watching us _for_ her."

"But who would want to do that? If you're right, then it could be anyone. We might not even know the person."

Warren gave a deliberate shrug, with an almost expectant look.

"You think it's someone from school."

"I'm almost sure it is. Think about it. It would have to be someone who's constantly around the both of us."

There was no response to that. Uneasy, I fiddled with the sleeve of my sweater. "It's getting too late."

I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw a flash of disappointment in Warren's eyes. But all he said was, "Yeah. It is."

I thought long and hard about Warren's theory that evening. And the more I thought about it, the more I became convinced that he was right. There was no way Lisa could have lasted this long, no way could she have come this far without some kind of assistance.

The question was- who?

Because of this revelation, school would become a different place entirely. Every face darkened with evil secrets, every casual glance my way harboring some kind of ill intent.

And I was already afraid.

There had to be some way to find out for certain, something I could do other than sit here and wait to be targeted again.

Catching a glimpse of myself in my bedroom mirror, I saw my scarred face staring back at me, confused and a little angry at how helpless I felt. And then … surprised, with a flash of sudden inspiration as an idea came to me.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The bus ride to the Youth Detainment Center seemed longer than it ever had with Warren. I'd purposely left him out of it this time around. I didn't want to, but I knew that things would certainly be less tense without him.

I was almost sure Jana Vega would refuse to see me. But when she came into the room she simply sat down on the ground, a respectable distance away.

"You look better," I said softly.

" _You_ look like crap," she answered blatantly. But there was no malice in her words. She was just being honest.

I chuckled nervously, nodding. "Haven't had much sleep lately."

Jana simply stared at me. "Why are you here?"

I started to answer, but the words caught in my throat. I tried another route. "Warren and I were attacked by Lisa a couple of weeks ago. We think… someone's helping her."

"So what?" Jana asked, obviously not caring.

"Do you know who it could be?"

"Told you, I don't know anything about Lisa."

"I think you do, Jana."

"Yeah? Prove it."

Looking into her eyes I said, "Girls tend to find out about their competition."

Jana gave a little intake of breath. "What did you say?"

But she heard me. I leaned forward a little. "You loved him. You loved Paul."

She let out a dry laugh. "Love?! You're such a romantic, you know that?" But a faint flush came into her face, the first point of living color I'd ever seen in her pale skin. I knew I was right.

"I don't think Paul would have wanted any of this. Not for me, or for you."

Jana didn't answer. Her eyes steadily darkened with an emotion I couldn't begin to guess at. Then she spoke. "No. He wouldn't have."

The sound of her voice surprised me. No longer biting and sarcastic, it was heavy with sadness and affection.

"Paul… he hated Warren, and he hated Warren's dad. But he loved _you_ ," she told me. "Even in the end, he talked about you. He said you two were going to change the world."

I sat there in shock as she talked about my cousin. For months I'd tormented myself, certain that he'd grown to hate me. But here was Jana, telling me that he hadn't. At that moment, I couldn't tear my eyes away from her.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because-" Her eyes cleared and she looked at me, apparently changing her mind. "My dad's dead. My mom doesn't want anything to do with me. And Paul listened to me, and he _understood_ -" Her voice broke on the last word. Clenching her fists, her eyes took on a haunted quality. "It wasn't Lisa or Battle that drove me to do it. I- I would have done _anything_ for him. Now he's gone. And it's all over."

"No it's not," I told her firmly. "Battle's still alive, and so are you. It might take a few years, but you can appeal-"

"How deluded are you?" she suddenly snapped. "I kill the living and control the dead! That's my power!" She laughed bitterly. "They're not letting me out of here, not ever. I'm not a Hero. I'm a mistake."

"You shouldn't say that," I said, getting upset and not knowing why. "Jana, you can't give up on yourself."

But Jana looked at me, not moving. And I saw that she already had.

"Nicole," she muttered quietly.

I blinked at her. "What?"

"Nicole Barnes. She hung out with Lisa a lot. They were like best friends or something. Lisa would have let her on the plan to kill Battle if she wasn't so damned straight-laced." She tugged absentmindedly at a lock of her lifeless dark hair. "But if anyone would help Lisa, it'd be her."

"Nicole?" I said in confusion and shock. "Kylie's friend?"

"You know her."

I looked away. "Not well enough," I said softly.

The guards came in then to take Jana back to her room. She stood up and made to leave and I did the same, but at the last minute she turned around.

"Anna? Do you- do you really think Paul's out there? Do you think I… did something to him?"

I saw the fear and misery in her eyes, and I suddenly felt terrible for my assumptions the last time I'd seen her. "No. I was upset, and scared. Guess I just wanted to see him, so I imagined I did."

Relief calmed her features and she allowed the guards to lead her away. I left the building, my thoughts heavy. Jana was living her own personal hell every day. Lying to make her feel better was the least I could do.

xxxxxxxx

"You're telling me it's Nicole?"

"I'm telling you it might be. It's what Jana thinks."

Warren narrowed his eyes at me. "And why would she suddenly be helping us?"

I looked down at my shoes. I knew why Jana changed her mind, even though she never said anything. I saw the answer in her eyes, right before I left the prison. It was a look I hoped to never see again.

But I didn't know how to explain any of this to him. So I muttered lamely, "I don't know. But I think she was telling the truth."

Warren stayed quiet for awhile. But he nodded. "Fine. Then we need to find Nicole."

"And then what?"

"And then… we talk to her."

It was the way he said it that made me alert. I opened my mouth to protest, but then stopped. People had died. It had gone beyond reasoning now.

"We'll find her soon enough. She'll be in Hero History."

But she wasn't. For the rest of the day, Warren and I kept an eye out for her, but Nicole was nowhere to be found. In gym, I sat as close to Warren as I could without looking conspicuous. "She's not here," I said without moving my lips, as I watched Greer Francis knock his opponent out cold with a single blow.

"How much are you willing to bet she's not home sick?" he said in a low tone.

I didn't answer. Looking across the crowd of students, I hoped against hope that maybe we'd simply missed her and she was really here after all. But no such luck.

My eyes fell upon Jonah. He was sitting beside Kylie, his hand securely entwined in hers, and I glanced away, oddly embarrassed for having seen such a common intimacy. But suddenly I turned back, and stared.

Nicole wasn't here. But Jonah was quite possibly the next best thing to getting some answers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

My shift at Maxville's Value Mart was a long one. I had a hard time keeping focused- twice I gave a customer the wrong change.

But there was simply too much going on in my mind to pay much attention to anything. And it all centered upon Lisa Kline.

After school was over, I was able to steal Jonah for a few minutes, despite Kylie's fervent protests. He had told me through his drawings what he knew concerning Nicole and Lisa, which as it turned out, wasn't much. Nicole had become quiet, restless in recent weeks. Some days she missed school entirely. Jonah had asked her about it, but all she would say was she was worried about Lisa being on the run.

"Jonah… is it possible that Nicole might have seen Lisa lately?"

He'd shaken his head adamantly. But there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes, so subtle that I wasn't sure that he was even aware of how he really felt.

Finally, my shift ended and I could leave. The moment I stepped outside, there was my father waiting for me in the car. I got in silently and we drove home.

A strain had developed between us. We no longer chatted freely in our spare time, or watched TV together. When we all sat down at the dinner table he'd asked me how my day was. I'd tell him it was fine. And that was that.

I think he suspected what I was up to, that I was still spending time with Warren. Whenever he looked at me, it was always with a measure of distrust and a little disappointment.

After a while, I learned to stop looking at him.

My mother on the other hand was acting totally different. She'd distract Dad or change the subject in some way whenever his questions became too demanding. She was also more collected than I'd seen her in recent weeks, and never once asked me what I was up to.

It took me a while, but I finally understood why.

When my father retired to his study Mom and I were left alone in the living room. I was sitting on the floor scanning my Super Physics textbook, occasionally glancing at her she leafed through my graduation package, signing the appropriate forms.

We stayed like this for about ten minutes, before I put my pen down.

"How long have you known?"

Not looking up from the forms, Mom asked, "Known about what?"

"About Warren."

She paused in mid signing and turned to me. Her face was somber and she exhaled. "I saw him at the funeral. And again, with you at the grocery store a few months back. I knew for sure then."

"And you didn't tell Dad."

She shook her head. "I don't know why. Seeing him with you, I felt better. I felt you were… safe."

I stood up and sat down next to her. "I think I am."

When I went upstairs for bed, I tried calling Warren, wanting to tell him what I'd learned from Jonah. It was on the fourth ring that his voicemail came on and I remembered that he'd be working late that night. I left him a message all the same.

"Hi, it's… well it's me. I talked to Jonah and he told me a few things, don't know if it'll help much. Anyways, give me a call when you get this."

I hung up the receiver and went to my bed, lying on top of the covers. I didn't know where I was going with any of this, and seriously doubted that Warren did either. What was our intention exactly? To find Lisa? To turn her in?

_To save the city. To save ourselves._

I awoke with a start- the phone was ringing. I answered it quickly before it could wake up my parents.

"Warren?"

There was a silence. Then:

"That's… really sweet you know. You and him."

Still half asleep, the voice didn't register at first. Then suddenly I was completely and painfully awake.

It was Lisa.


	13. Discovery (Pt. 1)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Thirteen- Discovery (Part 1)**

"Anna? Still there babe?"

I took a deep shuddering breath. "Yeah, I'm here," I whispered, my eyes shut tight.

"That's good," her voice purred. "Wouldn't want Warren to suffer because of crappy phone service."

My eyes flew open. "What did you say?"

She chuckled softly, not answering my question. It was then that I finally looked down at the caller ID. It was Warren's number. She was calling from Warren's cell phone.

"But I really do mean what I said. You guys are just too sweet. Who would have thought- Barron Battle's son and the Shield's daughter, bestest of friends?"

"What have you done?" I burst out, struggling to keep my voice down.

"You should be a little nicer to me Anna," she suddenly snarled. "Don't want to be responsible for another death…do you?"

My breath hitched. If she meant what she said, then Warren was still alive. I wanted to believe it was all a nightmare, horrible and frighteningly vivid. But I knew it wasn't, and if I didn't get it together right now, Warren might be-

"What do you want Lisa?"

"You know what I want," she answered coldly. Then her voice perked right up. "Why don't we meet for dinner? I don't know about you, but I feel like a little Chinese."

I knew what she meant. "I'll be there."

"Perfect! Oh, and Anna? If I even suspect you've told anyone… I'll kill him. I mean it."

The line went dead. The next thing I knew I was flying through the street, half blinded by the snow and my own tears.

I ran until I began to see cars drive past and screamed out for a taxi.

xxxxxxxxxxx

The car couldn't move fast enough. When were finally about a block away from the Paper Lantern, I threw the money at the driver and tumbled out of the car, already running.

I knew it was a trap- that Lisa wouldn't care for talking or reason. She wanted us dead. I knew that.

But what else could I do?

The restaurant was closed, which I expected since it was after midnight. All seemed quiet, safe. It was all a lie.

A dull bang came from the side of the building. Cautiously I walked towards the sound, peering around the building. Something wasn't right- there was nothing. No passersby. No movement. And no light.

No light.

My instincts kicked in. But it was too late. I spun around in time to see a two-by-four swinging right towards my head-

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Someone was singing. Well, humming. It was a tune I couldn't follow- all erratic sharps and flats that transcended full octaves, as if the hummer had never heard music before.

The insane melody slowly pulled me into full awareness. Opening my eyes, I found myself sitting in a dark room- the cool dampness told me it was a basement. My head was pounding and everything looked fuzzy- I blinked my eyes a couple of times, but the blurriness didn't go away. My limbs felt like lead. It was all wrong.

There was a soft gasp and suddenly a face loomed into my vision. It took me a couple of seconds before I could make out who it was- Lisa Kline.

"Look who's decided to join us!" she murmured brightly.

"Oh…god… what did you do to me?" I groaned.

"Relax. It's just a little something to help you unwind."

My eyes widened as a thought struck me. "Warren…!"

"Oh he's safe and sound. For now."

A violent rush of anger took my breath away. Trying to will the fogginess out of my head, I concentrated on my powers, waiting to feel my hands warm up.

It didn't happen.

Confused, I tried to move my hands but couldn't get them very far. After some maneuvering I was able to turn my head. My hands were both tied to a metal pipe with chains. But that wasn't what caught my attention. There were also steel bands around my wrists. I recognized them immediately. Power neutralizers.

"What the-"

"Sorry Anna. I can't have you guys powering up and causing trouble."

"What… what did you do…to him?"

"Same thing I did to you," she answered conversationally. "Only _he_ put up more of a fight. Have to say, I was a little disappointed in that. But between you and me, I might have given him a bit of an overdose. What do you think?"

Grabbing me by the hair, she yanked my head forward, twisting it painfully to the side. The world spiraled out of control for several long and nauseating seconds, and I struggled to keep down the dinner I'd eaten earlier.

After several deep breaths I could open my eyes. Warren had been sitting less than a foot away from me the whole time. He grimaced, struggling to open his eyes. I saw with a sinking sensation that he was also bound, with the same power neutralizers on his wrists.

Immediately I began to struggle, trying to at least free myself from the heavy chains, but my limbs refused to obey. Lisa let go of my hair and I ungracefully leaned over to the side.

She stood up then and went over to Warren, contemplating him with a strange kind of wistful look. Then she kicked him viciously in the side. A sharp cry burst out of him as he coughed, struggling to breathe.

"No!" I tried to yell, but the word came out slurred and useless.

"Get up! Nap time's over," she snapped, ignoring me.

The fog in my head was lifting. And the full enormity of what was happening was slowly getting through to me. _Lisa_ , I thought. _She has to be stopped_.

Warren's eyes fluttered open. He caught sight of me and inhaled sharply, panic flashing across his features.

Finally he turned to Lisa. He stared dully at her for some moments, before his eyes cleared. He took a few deep breaths and managed to whisper one word: "You."

"Yeah. Me," she nodded, grinning brightly. "I was getting worried you wouldn't be awake for the good stuff."

Warren didn't answer. He simply stared at her, his eyes full of hatred.

I flexed my jaw, judging how capable I was of forming a coherent sentence, and decided to go for it. "What are you up to?"

"Everything in its time," she answered playfully, then turned serious. "I had no problem with you two. Not even you Warren, even though your father's a murdering bastard who deserves to rot in hell. But you had to get involved."

"You had to no right," I whispered. "You had no right to try to kill him."

"I had _every_ right!" She stalked towards me so suddenly I instinctively tried to scramble away. She stood over me, her eyes shining. "Tell me something. Would you feel the same way if it was _your_ mother that was killed? Knowing her murderer was still alive and well, enjoying hot showers and basic cable?"

I didn't answer. Involuntarily, I glanced at Warren who looked as if he was starting to come around more. He wasn't looking at me, and I knew it was a deliberate action.

"But you wouldn't know would you? You have your mom and your dad, alive and loving you. You wouldn't understand at all. But I'm going to have my revenge." She smiled faintly. "I'm going to be a Hero."

Warren made a low sound. It took me several seconds to realize he was laughing softly to himself. For a split second I wondered if he had lost his mind.

Lisa narrowed her eyes. "What the hell are you laughing at?"

Warren managed to bring himself into a sitting position. "You actually think you're a Hero?" His cold smile faded. "Could you _be_ anymore twisted?"

"You think you're so different from me, Peace?"

"I know I am!" he snarled.

Lisa regarded him thoughtfully. Then to my surprise, she lowered her eyes. "You're right," she told him sadly. "We _are_ different. And you know what that difference is?" She leaned down. Ignoring his attempt to pull away, Lisa whispered something in his ear.

I couldn't catch what it was, but it had an effect on Warren. He went pale and looked at her, devastated.

"You're wrong," he said faintly, as if he were half asleep.

Lisa shook her head slowly, now her turn to smile. "One slip little firefly, and you'd burn this whole world to ashes." She sighed. "But I have a noble reason. I want justice- to protect the world. To be great, and remembered-"

"Protect the world? What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to keep her distracted. The longer she kept up her tirade, the more time I had to figure out how to get out of this impossible situation. So far I had no ideas. But Lisa's next words stopped any further coherent thought dead in its tracks.

Lisa was smiling serenely. "Oh. I'm going to destroy every super villain in the Maxville Correctional Facility. Nuclear oblivion. If I can't kill Barron Battle directly, then I'll take them all out."

There was a silence that seemed to stretch on forever. Finally, Warren managed, "You can't be serious."

"Lisa, just listen to me," I said almost pleadingly. "Doing this won't make you a Hero. It'll make you a murderer."

"Like you?" she retorted, and that silenced me. "Don't you dare look down your nose at me Anna. I'm going to rid the world of the most dangerous super villains of our time. I'll be the greatest Hero who ever lived."

Before I could say anything else, there was a noise from above. We all looked up.

"And here comes the one who made it all possible," she said softly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The fogginess in my head came and went at intervals. In a daze, I watched someone walk in out of the shadows and join Lisa. Gradually, Nicole Barnes came into focus. Nicole... she was part of this, I remembered.

But her eyes were wide and uncertain as she watched Warren and me. She didn't look malicious or vengeful. She looked scared.

They were speaking softly to one another now, trying to keep their voices down. Becoming as still as I could, I was able to catch some of what they were saying.

"You promised you wouldn't kill Heroes…"

"They're not Heroes Nikki…"

"…. it's gone too far…"

"…. this one last thing… and then we'll disappear. No one will ever find us."

Miserably, I looked over towards Warren. His eyes had a glazed over look. He seemed to be struggling to hold onto consciousness, occasionally swaying to the side. Lisa was right- she'd definitely given him too much of whatever it was.

Biting my lip, I tried to move my hands. The chains were bound tightly, cutting into my wrists. But I didn't give up. I didn't know how I was going to get out of this but I had to keep trying.

"Nicole, don't do this. Don't let her make you into a monster."

I had said it. It was obvious to anyone that Nicole was reluctant party to all this insanity. If I could appeal to her, there might be a chance.

"A monster? No." Lisa took Nicole's hand. "But she _is_ a good friend. And dare I say- the perfect spy."

"Lisa, don't," Nicole whispered.

"Nicole, what is she talking about?" I asked.

Lisa glanced at Nicole who refused to look at any of us. "Go on Nikki. Show them," she said softly, encouragingly. Nicole flushed a deep red, looking as if she wanted to just disappear.

And then… she did.

I stared at the place I'd last seen her in utter shock. Slowly the pieces fell into place, with Nicole being the last one. Nicole had the power of invisibility. This was how Lisa had known where we'd be the night she'd ambushed us. How long had Nicole been following us? How could we have missed it? Never once had I even wondered about Nicole or what her power could be. It was such a stupid mistake. A mistake that would cost us everything.

When Nicole rematerialized, Lisa smiled proudly at her. "It's almost time, babe."

A surge of panic filled me. "Time for what?"

Lisa turned to me serenely. "The hydrogen core of Maxville's Correctional Facility. The source of all its power. Nikki's been an awesome help getting the safety wards down. Now I'll be able to destabilize it. It'll take awhile, but it'll get the job done. And all from the comfort of our own home."

"No…" It was all I could get out. Intentionally destabilizing the core would trigger… a disaster. The resulting explosion would not only destroy the prison, but everyone and everything within miles of it. Oh god…the inmates, Jana…even my parents and relatives… they all would die.

"And you signed on for this?" Warren asked Nicole accusingly. His tone was harsh. "You're no better than she is."

"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the good of the rest of the world," Lisa murmured. "Now if you'll excuse me… I'm off to go kill your father. I won't be too long."

Warren suddenly threw himself against his restraints violently.

"You're dead Kline," he said in a dangerous voice. "I _swear_ … you are dead!"

Lisa smiled gently. "No Warren. You are."

And with those words she left, with Nicole following reluctantly behind.

xxxxx

Warren slammed the metal bands on his wrists against the concrete wall over and over again, until I couldn't take it anymore.

"That won't work and you know it! Just stop before you hurt yourself."

"If you have a better idea Arrian, I'd love to hear it!" he shot back, never pausing in his actions.

Sighing, I didn't answer. Warren was freaked and I couldn't blame him- his father was being targeted yet again. I tugged at my own restraints, trying to think of some way out of this. But whatever Lisa had put in my system, coupled with the noise that Warren was making made any kind of rational thinking impossible.

Finally after several minutes, Warren quit fighting. His breathing was labored, head hanging to the side. He kept his eyes closed.

"She won't get away with this," I said to him, with a reassurance I did not feel.

"There won't be anything to get away with," he said in a voice filled with denial. "It's not going to happen."

His tone of voice made me turn and look at him. He was now staring at nothing at all with a quiet intensity. It disturbed me.

"Warren?"

Someone was coming downstairs, and I held my breath. It was Nicole. She pulled up a nearby chair and sat away from us without so much as acknowledging our existence. I immediately tried to appeal to her again, but she cut me off.

"I'm not supposed to be talking to either of you, so don't bother," she said sharply. But her voice trembled. I noticed then that her eyes were red, as if she'd been crying.

"You don't have to talk. Just listen. You don't want to be responsible for killing all those people. It's not worth it."

"Like she cares," Warren interjected darkly. "She let her best friend murder an innocent couple. What's a few more hundred to her?"

"No, that's not true!" she suddenly cried. "I didn't know she'd do that… I mean- I didn't want her to kill anyone-"

"And now you do?" Warren snapped.

"Warren…!" I said sternly, but he ignored me.

"You know damn well how what's going to happen if you let her do this. And you won't lift a finger to stop it!"

"Lisa says we have to. It's for the good of the whole world," Nicole said pleadingly, almost as if she were trying to convince herself.

"I know you don't believe that," I told her. "She's not doing this out of a sense of justice. She's doing it out of revenge."

Nicole was shaking her head in denial, tears falling silently down her face. "She's… she's my best friend."

I tried to sit up straighter to face her. "I understand that. You have my word that we won't hurt her. But you have to let us go."

Nicole immediately glanced at Warren who still looked ragingly mutinous, but I made her divert her attention back to me.

"Nicole, there has to be a key for these power neutralizers. Do you know where it is?"

She stared at us hesitatingly, for what seemed like forever. Then finally, she spoke.

"Lisa has it," she said dejectedly.

"Then you have to get it from her somehow-"

"I can't!" she said sharply. "Don't you get it? There's nothing I can do. I'm sorry. I can't help you."

Warren lowered his head. I stared at her in sheer disbelief. Nicole, I realized, was our only chance. If she wouldn't help us… then there truly was no hope.


	14. Discovery (Pt. 2)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Fourteen- Discovery (Pt. 2)**

There are few things more terrible than the world of your own thoughts.

I had gone beyond the anger of having been captured and was past the fear of my own demise. There was now only complete awareness of the seconds ticking by, the almost inaudible sound of Warren's deep breathing and the heavy air of expectancy.

I was more or less lucid at this point. Nicole's face was buried in her hands- she refused to speak another word to either of us. I wouldn't look at Warren myself- there was something terrible in his eyes that spoke of things I preferred not to know.

He had gone very quiet. No longer struggling, he became so still that for a while I wondered if he was unconscious again.

My mind raced, searching for some kind of way out of this. But almost four years of Hero training was drawing a despairing blank. I had no access to my powers, or anything else. In fact, I could barely think straight. I didn't know what to do.

"Lisa's right," Nicole was saying to herself. "No one could understand."

"Understand?" I raised my head to look at her. "You're going to sit back and let your friend commit mass murder, and we're supposed to understand?"

"She's trying the save the world!"

"And killing us? How's that going to save the world?"

Nicole fell silent. "I…I don't know."

It was the look on her face, the terror and misery, that made me calm down despite the situation. I tried to explain to her that there were guards in that prison; medical staff, and other non-villainous entities. Innocent, hardworking people with families, and friends who were going to be killed-

"No, I don't want to hear this," Nicole interrupted, getting visibly flustered.

"Oh, you are going to hear it. Your best friend is nothing but a monster. If she does this, there's nothing she wouldn't do."

"Shut up, Anna. I mean it," she warned.

"Why? You know it's true," I challenged. "Lisa doesn't care about being a Hero, or saving the world. She wants revenge. And she'll destroy anyone to get it. Even you."

"You're wrong! She'd _never_ hurt me!" Nicole cried out furiously. In her anger she took a couple of steps forward, far too close for my comfort.

Apparently, it was close enough.

Warren's hand shot out. It was a short distance, but he managed to grab her by the collar. Startled, she immediately threw a punch that caught him in the face. But Warren refused to let go. With a pained groan he wrenched her forward violently.

Nicole didn't have time to brace herself. She lost her balance, crashing headfirst into the wall that supported us. There was a sickening thud- she slumped against the wall and did not move again.

I turned to Warren, completely stunned. He was leaning heavily to the side, trying to catch his breath.

"Move back," he said hoarsely.

"What-"

"Just do it!"

Shakily, I complied. Warren managed to twist himself around. When I realized what he was about to do, I turned my head away. There was a sharp impact- the pipe that my arms were chained to shuddered. It took several tries, but Warren managed to kick the pipe loose, allowing me to slip free.

I got to my feet with some effort. Focusing on the post that held him, I threw all my energy into kicking the pipe apart as he had done.

The moment the chains were off Warren struggled to his feet, but not for long. He would have collapsed if I hadn't rushed to hold him up.

But he pulled away from me and standing up straighter, made his way towards the stairs.

"Warren, wait-"

"There's no time!" he shouted back at me before disappearing upstairs.

For a second I cursed softly, trying to blink away the blurriness that wouldn't go away. Then I went up after him.

After being in the dark for so long, the sudden brightness made me disoriented- I leaned against the wall for support. After a few seconds, I was able to look around. I was in a small kitchen. At the far end the back door was wide open, and the wind was blowing the snow in wildly.

The thought of what Lisa was going to do (had already done?) made me stand up straighter and walk towards the open door. Steeling myself, I took a deep breath and went outside… into the storm.

xxxxxxxxx

Sheets of white and icy blasts made the world unbearable. I couldn't see much besides the towering shadows of trees. Where was Warren? Where was Lisa?

Then I heard something. Someone was speaking- I heard snatches of it being carried on the wind. Thinking it came from my right, I tried to follow the sound as best I could. Freezing, terrified and weak, I continued on for what seemed like hours, but couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Through the heavy drifts of snow, I saw her. Her back was turned to me and she stood tall, seemingly unaffected by the storm that raged around her.

Warren stood before her, less sure on his feet. From my position, I knew Warren could see me. But he didn't so much as shift his gaze, not even for a second. We were at a terrible disadvantage, but so far Lisa made no indication of spotting me. There was just the slightest chance for us.

"What did you do, Kline?"

"Where's Nicole?" she asked casually, ignoring him.

When Warren didn't answer she added, "You know... if you've hurt her, I'll kill you- slowly."

"Funny. I was just thinking the same about you."

He rushed at her, and I saw it for the distraction it was. As Warren was propelled backwards, I rammed my entire body weight into her.

Lisa fell to the ground with a surprised cry. She scrambled to recover, but I wouldn't let her. Using the metal band on my right wrist, I slammed it against her head with all the force I could muster. When she tumbled onto her back, I punched her again and again.

From the corners of my eyes, I saw Warren running towards us. But Lisa was laughing- her teeth red with her own blood- laughing as if she'd just heard the funniest thing in the world.

That was when it struck me.

"You didn't." I could barely get the words out.

Her laughter settled into a heartfelt chuckle. "I _did_. The meltdown's started minutes ago. By the time they realize what's happening," her eyes sparkled maniacally, "It'll be too late."

The knowledge of what she'd done screamed in my head, and for a moment I forgot the world around me. We had lost. It was over.

Warren went deathly white. With an anguished cry, he grabbed her throat, murder blazing in his eyes.

But we were suddenly thrust upwards into the air. Heart racing, I waited to come back down. But neither of us did.

As I struggled to free myself from the invisible force that held us, I became aware of a pressure around my rib cage. It increased, until it was all I could do to keep from passing out. I heard Warren gasping hoarsely, and the realization came to me.

She was slowly crushing the life out of us.

Light burst behind my closed eyes. Through the icy cold and growing darkness, I wanted to give up on the impossible task of trying to breathe-

The ground hit me, hard. The crushing force was gone. Coughing, I drew in desperate painful breaths, trying to keep conscious.

Lisa's voice pierced through the storm. "You…you can't …NO!" Her screams were suddenly cut off. For a long moment, there were only sounds of the storm. Then I heard movement nearby.

"Warren…?" My voice came out ragged.

No answer. Lifting my head, I tried to see where he was. But the snow was really coming in now. It was a complete white-out.

My eyes watered heavily from the cold and lack of air- I was frozen to the bone. My legs had gone completely numb, and the rest of my body was soon getting there. I called out to Warren again, and again, he didn't answer.

Someone was approaching. I tried to see, but the snow kept getting into my eyes and I had to keep them closed.

"The lights…they're gone." Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized I wasn't making much sense. But I kept talking in the inane hope that if I did, somehow things would be all right.

I refused to think otherwise.

After awhile I stopped shivering and a strange warmth stole over me.

"I feel…better. Think I'll be…okay."

The hand squeezed mine gently, reassuringly. Then a voice spoke. "I know you will."

I frowned. Not Warren. But I knew that voice…

The stinging snowflakes were forgotten. I opened my eyes. And stared into the familiar yet changed face that looked down at me.

"Hey, Paul." I said in blissful grogginess.

"Hi Anna," he answered fondly.

My mind worked slowly. Through the confusion and the fuzziness, reality settled in.

Paul.

"You're… really here?"

"Yeah. I really am."

I thought about that for a while. Then I asked, "Am I dead?"

He laughed; it was a dry hollow sound. "No. You're alive. And you're gonna stay that way." His smile faded. "I'm so sorry."

I was confused. "For what?"

With an expression that was beyond sadness, his fingers settled upon the scars on my cheek- I could barely feel them.

"For everything," he whispered.

His hand released mine. He stood up and took a few steps back.

"Don't go!" I tried to scream. But all that came out was small huffs of air. With tears that froze on their descent down my face, I watched him change into the macabre winged Hero I remembered. He took to the air and disappeared into the storm.

In the distance, I heard sirens.


	15. Goodbye

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Chapter Fifteen- Goodbye**

There were bright lights everywhere. Strangers' faces peered down at me, talking nonstop, calling me by my name. Somewhere, machines beeped relentlessly. It was annoying. I wanted to sleep. I wished they'd all just be quiet.

As if they'd read my mind, the noise gradually grew softer and softer. Then it disappeared all together…

x

x

x

x

x

"When is Dr. Fort coming back? She still feels cold."

"You heard what the doctor said. She's going to be fine."

I tried to open my eyes, but felt too tired even for that. Several minutes went by and I heard the voices again. They spoke softly to one another. The words 'hypothermia' and 'dehydration' found their way into my consciousness, but the fog in my head made it impossible to hold onto anything.

A few deep breaths later, and I felt a little better. I forced my eyes open. My parents were sitting beside me. As soon as they saw that I was awake, they came to life.

"Anna honey? It's ok, we're right here."

"Hey Annie. How're you feeling?"

I stared at them, then looked around in bewilderment. I was in a hospital room. "Why am I here?"

They both fell silent for a moment. Finally, my mother asked tentatively, "Honey… don't you remember?"

I blinked at her, trying to figure out what she was talking about. For the longest while I was drawing a blank. Then a name came out of nowhere: Lisa Kline.

And it all came flooding back. Maxville correctional facility... an unconscious Warren... Nicole... the storm... Paul.

These thoughts made me tear my gaze away from them both. I glanced at my hands, only half aware that I no longer had the power neutralizers on my wrists. I began to shake.

"I couldn't save them. I couldn't do anything." My eyes stung with sudden tears. "The prison, Warren's dad… Lisa destroyed it all."

Mom's face fell. "Oh sweetheart, no. No she didn't."

I turned to her sharply, my breath catching in my throat. "What?"

She glanced at my father, who smiled dryly. "Annie, it's all right," he said gently. "Nothing was destroyed. There was a power failure at the prison; the secondary wards were able to detect the meltdown. They stopped it."

Stunned, I stared at my dad, then at Mom. I was waiting for the hallucination to be over. Any moment reality would set in and I'd find that beyond the four walls that held us, the world had been reduced to rubble and ashes.

But the faces of my parents were calm and reassuring, and despite myself I began to believe in what they were saying. An overwhelming relief washed over me. It was all right. We were safe.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Paul's smiling. His hand is as warm and familiar as I remember, just as it was when he was alive._

_He is walking away. I'm calling out to him, trying to follow. And I find I can do neither._

_He won't look back. He doesn't even acknowledge my shouts. Paul is leaving me, again. And there is nothing I can do._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
_

I opened my eyes, my heart pounding. "Mom…Dad?!"

"Yes baby, we're right here. What's the matter?"

"Paul." The word just slipped out.

My parents exchanged a brief, but visibly worried look. "What… what about him sweetheart?" My mother put up a brave front, but I could see that it still hurt her to talk about him. Beside her, Dad purposely kept his gaze lowered.

And I realized I couldn't do this to them. Telling them that I'd seen him- not just dreamed about him, but actually _seen_ him- it would be like killing Paul all over again.

"I… miss him." I closed my eyes.

My mother took my hand. "So do I."

We were all silent for a moment. Then a sudden thought made me stir sharply. "Warren! Where's Warren? Is he okay?"

There was a flicker of annoyance in my father's eyes, but Mom said, "I'm sure he's all right sweetheart. Just relax, okay?"

"No, I want to be sure. Please can you check?"

My restlessness made her comply at last. "I'll see what I can find out," she said.

When she left, Dad turned back to me. Though he tried to remain as stoic as possible, my father tended to wear his emotions on his sleeve.

"You're mad." It wasn't a question.

"Annie, let's not talk about this now. You need to rest-"

"No, I _want_ to talk about it now," I insisted.

We stared each other down for long seconds. To my surprise, he broke first. Clasping his hands on his lap, he leaned forward. "What happened out there?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Kline girl… she's dead."

It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. "How?"

When he didn't answer I prompted, "Dad, how?"

"Her neck was broken. Clean break, like someone was trying to wrench her head off her shoulders-"

"Dad." I looked at him, and my alarm grew despite his calm demeanor. "Warren did _not_ -"

"No one's accusing anyone here, okay? The doctors… they're saying he had way too many sedatives in his system to do much of anything."

"So that just leaves me."

"Don't be ridiculous!" he snapped. "You and I both know you didn't kill that girl-"

"And I know that Warren didn't kill her either!"

Dad looked at me almost helplessly. "Then… who did?"

I sniffed, looking down at my bedclothes. There was only one person left, I knew. I had no choice.

"I saw what happened."

He blinked at me. "What?"

"The storm was bad out there," I continued as if he hadn't spoken. I had to get it out before I lost my nerve. "The ground was really uneven. Lisa was coming at me… and she slipped somehow. She fell and… must've broken her neck, obviously."

The incredulous stare that I received from my father was almost tangible, but I held my ground.

"I'm telling you what happened," I insisted. "She had a bad fall."

"Anna, her neck was-"

"A _really_ bad fall," I said so firmly that he fell silent.

The skeptical look never left his face. "Is that really the story you want to stick with?"

"Yes. And I'll tell it as many times as I have to."

My mom walked in then, and we both went silent. She told me that Warren was resting in a ward just down the hall and that he was fine.

I looked down at the colorless blankets that covered me. Somehow, I didn't think he was.

xxxxxx

Sometime later I woke up, not even aware that I had passed out yet again. I looked over. My parents had fallen asleep against one another on the plush chairs they'd brought up against the bed.

As I watched them for a while I felt a strange sense of isolation, as though I could no longer recognize them.

I sat up and pulled the blankets aside, finally seeing that I was wearing a white hospital shirt and matching pants, with warm socks. As soon as the open air met whatever skin was exposed I shuddered heavily. For a moment it was as if I was back outside in the snow storm.

Glancing around, I saw my own clothes as well as my coat folded neatly on a chair. With one last glance at my sleeping parents, I swung my legs around and carefully stood up. I still felt weak and slightly shaky, but after some careful maneuvering, I was able to put on my coat.

I was going to find my friend.

A couple of uneasy minutes later, I found Warren in one of the rooms down the hall. He lay unmoving. He was covered with several blankets, yet still he seemed so cold.

Beside him sat his mother Samantha. She was leaning against the bed, staring at him with a quiet intensity that frankly scared me.

After a few moments I asked, "How is he?"

Samantha looked up sharply. Smoothing down her blouse, she said without looking at me, "You shouldn't be here."

But there was the slightest hint of a waver in her voice. Before I could second-guess myself, I found the nearest seat and settled in it.

"Yeah I should." It was all I could think to say.

Samantha opened her mouth, then promptly closed it. After awhile, we both turned back to Warren, each of us not saying a word. But that look on her face stayed with me. I thought of how hard it must be for her to see Warren like this. My parents had each other for comfort, for support during times like these. As far as I knew, Samantha had no one.

"They said he's going to be fine," she told me after a few minutes, still gazing at her son.

I nodded slowly, even though she couldn't see me. "It doesn't make it any easier though, does it?"

Samantha smiled dismally. "Not really."

Warren stirred then and I jolted with alertness, willing him to open his eyes; Samantha leaned forward anxiously. She whispered, "Warren?"

He only gave a deep sigh, muttered something softly, and went still again.

When I left them an hour later, Warren was still sleeping.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I was allowed to leave the following evening. As my parents and I made our way out of the hospital I looked around, hoping to see Warren in one of the rooms. I didn't know if he was still asleep, and didn't want to ask my mother again to find out.

We got home. Mom asked me if I needed anything. I told her I was just tired, and after being pulled into a heartfelt embrace, went to my room. Opening the door, I saw that everything looked normal; exactly as I'd left it. It felt like a lifetime since that terrible call.

Lisa Kline… she was gone. Barron Battle and everyone at the Maxville Correctional Facility were safe. I should have been happy or at the very least, relieved.

I was neither.

Walking to the window, I pulled open the blinds and looked outside. The streets were quiet. Few windows had any lights on. The neighborhood was peaceful. But it didn't change how I felt.

Closing the curtains, I turned back to my desk and reached for the lamp. Halfway there I paused, remembering a time when I'd come in here and found everything was not as it seemed. There was nothing threatening or sinister about the intrusion. But I'd been completely alert all the same.

I felt that way now.

"Lisa never came into my room that night," I whispered aloud. "It was you."

There was a tense moment of silence. Then a movement in the shadows made me turn around, my heart racing frighteningly fast.

"I…didn't think you'd miss it," he said.

Numbly, I watched my cousin emerge into existence. He looked sheepishly solemn, as if I'd caught him breaking curfew or something. It was all surreal- the beautiful gray face that looked at me- like one of my dreams.

Only this wasn't a dream at all. It was wonderfully and terrifyingly real.

I was overwhelmed. I wanted to scream, to cry; to hug him fiercely and apologize forever. But I couldn't move- my limbs felt as heavy as the ocean and just as unstable. There something else too… an instinct that told me to stay where I was.

He was holding something out to me. It was a photograph. I couldn't see it very well, but I knew it well enough to remember what it showed: our family at his tenth birthday party. We were all there- Mom, Dad, Paul's parents, Aunt Nia and Uncle Matthew- and half a dozen relatives. I could hardly believe that it had really happened- it was as if he was holding a picture of another family from a thousand years ago.

A sob burst out of me, and I covered my mouth with my hands. It finally hit me, what was happening; I fought not to break down completely.

Paul was waiting patiently for me to collect myself. "I'm sorry. I really didn't think you'd miss it," he said again.

"It's not the picture, it's-" I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice level. "You're dead, aren't you?"

My cousin looked oddly embarrassed. "Yeah."

I nodded slowly, letting in sink in. "Jana did this somehow."

"Sort of worked that out when I woke up in a box," Paul said, trying to make light of an extremely unfunny situation. He glanced down thoughtfully, remembering. "I was so far beneath. It felt like I'd been there for days. I got out though," he added proudly.

Half mesmerized, I waited breathlessly for him to continue. He didn't. He sauntered off towards my desk, shuffling through the papers and textbooks and junk. He nodded appreciatively at the A-minus on one of my old Hero History quizzes, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Once upon a time, it was.

Everything about Paul was different- the way he moved, looked, sounded. It wasn't a good change, I realized. Strangely I felt more and more alienated from him as time went on, and I couldn't understand why.

"All this time… and you never came back," I found myself saying. My voice was quiet, accusing.

He looked up from my _Concepts of Physics_ textbook, mildly surprised. "I did, Anna."

I stared at him questioningly, about to ask him what on earth he was talking about. And then it hit me- a knowledge so ridiculous and yet so obvious I hardly dared to believe it.

"No. I was dreaming."

"I talked to you," he said matter-of-factly, as if I hadn't spoken. "I asked you how you were doing. You'd tell me things weren't going so well at school. But you had Warren. You said he took care of you." He lowered his pale eyes. "Who would have thought, huh?"

I didn't respond. It was just too much. Paul must have known what his death had put me through. And what did he do? Lurk in shadows, on the edge of vision and consciousness- like a ghost. Why did he hide from me?

He noticed my pained expression and looked away. "I tried to see you once. Remember? You passed out. I had to carry you inside."

I did remember- it was the night I'd seen him across the street and then awoke terrified in my own bed. But I refused to accept it as an excuse. "We would have adjusted, learned to… I mean you- you didn't _try_ , not really!" I had raised my voice. Remembering that my parents were not very far away, I bit my tongue hard.

Paul appeared to be completely unaffected by my outburst. "You're right. I didn't try. How could I, like this?"

His voice sounded sharp to my ears, thick and heavy with death. And the guilt came rushing back, pushing every apology I'd ever dreamed of saying to the tip of my tongue.

Paul read me as well as he ever did. "Anna, don't. I would've killed you that night if you hadn't stopped me. I mean, what I did to your _face_..." He stared sadly at my scars. "It's all my fault."

"Not just yours." The memory of snow and screams flared in my mind. Swallowing, I voiced the fear that wouldn't leave me. "Paul, did you kill Lisa?"

"Yes," he said quietly, without hesitation. There's was no remorse in his voice- he might have told me he'd checked the mail. "I had to fix what we'd started."

"How was _killing_ her going to fix things?!"

"What she was going to do…it was just too much. I had to make things right."

It was the way he said it that made it all clear. "The prison, the power failure. Was that you?"

"I had to make things right," he repeated. A slow smile spread across his gray features. "And I did."

I was stunned. My cousin had saved the people at the Maxville Correctional Facility. Nevertheless, an unpleasant chill coursed through me. Paul had murdered Lisa- and he hardly seemed to care. As insane and irrevocably evil as Lisa was, she didn't deserve to die. The more Paul spoke to me, the less I knew him.

His grin faded, then disappeared altogether. Somber, he glanced towards the window. "I have to go."

"What? Why?"

When he didn't answer I pleaded, "Don't leave. We can figure something out. I'll explain it to your parents, they'll understand-"

Paul gave me a regretful look. "You know they won't."

He took two steps towards me and an inexplicable urge to move away hit me like a physical blow. When he took hold of my hand it was all I could do to keep from yanking it away.

Something was wrong. Paul _felt_ wrong. I couldn't understand it. _This is my cousin, my_ family, I kept reminding myself. But at the same time I was trying not to go into hysterics, as if he'd given me a viper to hold instead of his hand. When he let go at last, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding.

Paul gave me a knowing look, his point proven. "It's not quite the same, is it? It was easier when you were asleep. Or you know, dying."

"No, no…" I didn't want to accept it. There had to be a way to fix this, to bring him back properly. "Paul…don't go. Please."

He smiled, but shook his head. "You're saying that because you feel you have to. But you don't want me here. Not really." He turned to stare at the fluttering curtains. "Death… it puts everything in perspective. All the things that were important to me- revenge, greatness… it hardly matters now, does it? Goodbye Anna."

Paul opened the window. As I watched him climb outside, I wanted to tell him he was wrong; that I _did_ want him to stay.

I wanted to say _something_.

Lying came slower this time around, however. When I'd reached the window myself, Paul was gone.

xxxxxx

Morning. The day brought little comfort to me. I found myself having cold cereal with my parents. My dad was more like his old jovial self- or at least he tried to be. Mom snatched the box of Sugar Blasts away when I went to pour myself a second bowl, pushing a plate of fruit towards me. I supposed it was her way of assuring me that despite everything, we were still a family.

After breakfast we cleared the dishes away and I was left to my own devices. I wandered around the house aimlessly for a while, before settling on the living room. For reasons I wasn't prepared to explore, I didn't want to be in my own room.

The TV droned on quietly in front of me, but I barely heard it. My conversation with Paul replayed itself in my mind. I remembered his demeanor; the cold horror that coursed through me as he took my hand; the relief and joy I wanted to feel at seeing him; the vague revulsion I felt instead.

There was no emotional connection anymore. No ease to the pain that I'd carried with me for the better part of a year. I was still grieving him, even as he'd stood right there in front of me.

Paul was out there somewhere. And it hurt me to know that there was no comfort in that thought.

I tried to put these painful thoughts out of my mind, and instead contemplated the phone that lay nearby. I knew the amount of trouble I would get into if I was caught calling Warren. Looking around I picked it up, hesitating.

The phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I said uncertainly.

"Hey."

It was Warren. "Oh my god, are you okay?" I blurted out.

"I'm all right. Are you?"

"Yes, I'm fine." I swallowed thickly. "They uh, stopped the… I mean, your dad's all right."

"Yeah. I've been told."

Something was on his mind. "What's the matter?"

There was a pause. Then I heard him sigh heavily. "They think I killed Lisa Kline."

"What? But you didn't!" I said, perhaps too forcefully.

There was a pause. "How are you so sure? Anna, did you see what happened?"

There was something in his voice so starkly reminiscent of my father's, that I found myself reciting the same story practically verbatim.

The silence on the other end of the line was thick with disbelief. But I didn't care.

"Don't worry about it Warren. I'll explain what happened," I winced as I said this, "and it'll all be taken care of. Trust me- the worst is over."

One day when enough time has passed, I'll tell him, I thought. Sometimes the truth doesn't set you free.

"Anna," Warren said suddenly, "Turn on to channel five."

The sound of his voice was unmistakable. My hand scrabbled for the remote, and I flipped two channels over. On the screen, a news reporter stood before a very familiar place.

"… _here in front of Maxville's Youth Detainment Center for Super Villains, where a tragic discovery was made. Details are still sketchy, but one thing has been confirmed- incarcerated super teen Jana Louisa Vega was found dead in her cell this morning. We are told investigations are still ongoing, but authorities are treating this as a suicide. We'll keep you informed of any new information as we receive it…"_

A picture of Jana had appeared on the screen. She looked unsmiling, unfeeling, staring straight ahead. It had reminded me of the last time I'd seen her and our conversation. She'd told me things about Paul that I couldn't believe, and even spilling her own secrets freely.

Like the last confession of one who had nothing to lose… and nothing to live for.


	16. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High, or any of its canon characters.**

**Epilogue**

Jana Vega lived a life that held more sadness than most. No one ever bothered to try to sympathize or understand. Now it had all come to a point where hanging herself was better than living another day.

Warren was adamant about going to her funeral. I said I'd go with him. It was a pathetic state of affairs. There were only a few other people there besides us and the priest- Jana's grandmother, a couple of students I recognized from school, a photographer from some newspaper. The grandmother wept copiously over Jana's body, whispering something in Spanish.

Warren and I went forward to see her. She lay there peacefully, a small smile on her lips that made it look as she was having a nice dream. Depressed, I glanced at Warren. His face was curiously expressionless as he contemplated her. Then quietly, he turned away.

After it was over, we had a late lunch at a nearby fast food place. It wasn't much of a meal. Across the table I watched Warren pushing fries around on his plate. He was taking this a lot harder than I expected him to. I couldn't understand why. He and Jana had hated each other as a rule and that was even before he knew she was involved in a plot to kill his father. There had to be more to it.

"You know," I began, not entirely sure where I was going to go with this, "Jana wanted out. She'd tried to kill herself before, there was no stopping her. She made her choice."

"Maybe she didn't," he answered gloomily.

"What do you mean?"

His closed his eyes for a while. "Lisa said something to me, that night she tried to destroy the prison. I thought she was just full of it, but now- I don't know."

I leaned forward slightly. "What did she tell you?"

He looked up at me, and there was a haunted quality to his eyes. "That there was only one thing that made us different. One bad day. She told me it was just a matter of time before I ended up like…her." He stared darkly at the table. "Maybe she has a point."

It took me a moment to figure out what he meant. Then I remembered that Lisa's mother was killed. So was Jana's father. That was when it all went downhill. Their one bad day.

But then I thought of Jonah and the tragedy he had gone through, losing his mother. He didn't choose to let it turn him into a monster.

I exhaled softly, shrugging. "You're right. Lisa _was_ full of it."

He glanced at me, silent for a while, before saying half-heartedly, "Yeah, I guess."

"Hey," I said, nudging his arm. "The choice is all yours. Nothing can make you become a villain. And I know you never will. You're one of the best people I know."

He looked up at me then in mild surprise.

I grinned. "Just…don't let it go to your head."

A slow smile spread across his features. "I'll try my best."

x

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_~Three months later~_

It was Spring. I thought it would never get here. The cold air flushed warm in the sun once again; trees and plants flourished. I was happy to see all the greenery- even the weeds. I expect that Warren was too- he said that he'd had enough of snow to last a lifetime.

A lot had happened since that horrible night. The investigation into Lisa's death was wrapped up remarkable quickly- no charges were made against Warren. After all the trouble and potential devastation that Lisa had caused, they seemed to accept my story. No one wanted to ask too many questions.

So Warren and I tried our best to put it all behind us, and focus on the everyday things, like school and work. It was in this way that three months had flown by and yearbook photo day came upon me.

Around mid-morning, we were herded into the gym, which had been converted into a makeshift studio. All of us were donning our best casual attire. Warren had cleaned up pretty nicely in a formal dark red shirt with a phoenix embroidery on the front and jeans that looked new.

I had borrowed a white dress from my mother. She had tried to cover up my scars as best she could with make-up. It was about as effective as putting a band aid over a stab wound, and after several attempts I finally gave up and went to wash my face.

It felt strange that I'd gotten this far. At the beginning of the year, I was simply going through the motions, waiting for the moment when I'd shut down.

But I kept going. And I survived, through classes and exams, through Kylie and her meanness, through Lisa's catastrophic intentions and Paul's return.

I might survive this.

"Anna Arrian?"

I was first up. I usually was. The chair was uncomfortable; I felt painfully self- aware of the entire senior Hero class watching my every move. I tried to ignore them, and didn't succeed.

"Now, just smile Miss Arrian. Nice and natural."

The photographer might as well have told me to pull a bear out of a hat. Beyond him I could see Warren, who had dared to come closer than the rest. Mouthing the word 'relax', his face was open, encouraging.

It reminded of how he had pulled me through the terror, heartache, and tragedy of the past year, how he had shown me unending support without saying anything at all; how he, even when we fought, was always _there_.

It was a good thought.

Turning back to the camera I watched it flash, filling my vision with brilliance.

 

The End. But not really. Stay tuned! :)


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